Stella by Starlight Pt 3
by thesituation016
Summary: PT: 3 With the Doctor's new regeneration comes a whole new set of adventures for Stella with the Ponds on the way along with the mysterious River Song. New enemies abound as do new friends and the past coming back to haunt. (PLEASE REVIEW!) ON INDEFINITE HIATUS
1. Chapter 1

The Tardis was tumbling out of control and spinning violently out of control as explosions erupted inside. It flies over the Millennium Dome with the Doctor dangling from the threshold, sonic screwdriver between his teeth and trying to pull himself back inside.

"Doctor!" Stella called out as she slipped along the floor over to him. She reached down grabbing him by the back of his shirt. "Clock Tower!" They were heading straight for the Parliament Clock Tower. "It's coming right at us!"

"I got it." The Doctor soniced the controls and changed course just in time as Stella hauled him back up into the Tardis and shut the doors behind them, exhausted they fell to the floor sitting against the doors, as the Tardis careened on its way.

"I don't know about you, but I'm all funned out." Stella said letting her head fall to his shoulder as he chuckled breathlessly.

"We're still crashing." The Doctor said breaking the short silence

"Oh yeah, don't know why we keep forgetting that." Stella said as they pushed themselves off the floor and ran over to the console.

-0-

"Dear Santa." Little Amelia pond kneeled beside her bed hands pressed together an d eyes closed tight. "Thank you for the dolls and pencils and the fish. It's Easter now, so I hope I didn't wake you, but honest, it is an emergency. There's a crack in my wall. Aunt Sharon says it's just an ordinary crack, but I know it's not, because at night there's voices, so please, please, could you send someone to fix it? Or a policeman. Or a…" She hears the Tardis materializing outside, then a crash. She runs back to her bed finishing her prayer quickly before bolting out of her room. "Back in a moment." She grabs a torch and looks outside. The Tardis has crash-landed on its side, on the garden shed. "Thank you, Santa."

The Tardis doors opened outwards suddenly causing Amelia to startle slightly facing the sky and a grappling hook was thrown out. There was a lot of grunting before a soaking wet Doctor clambered out.

"Could I have an apple? All I can think about. Apples. I love apples. Maybe I'm having a craving? That's new. Never had cravings before." The Doctor said in excitement.

"Oi, as much as I love studying your new backside, I'd like to get out of here." Stella called up.

"Not in front of the child love." The Doctor teased as he sat on the edge of the Tardis and looked inside reaching down.

"What child?" Stella asked as the Doctor helped her up so she was sitting beside him.

"That one." He pointed to the little red head.

"Oh, hello." Stella waved at the little girl who waved cautiously back.

"Whoa. Look at that." The Doctor said as he looked down into the TARDIS.

"That is one heck of a drop and look at that mess." Stella said shaking her head. "Did you have to be so dramatic? I didn't do that when I changed."

"I couldn't help it." The Doctor defended himself with a pout, until Stella leaned forward pecking him on his lips making him smile.

"Are you okay?" Amelia asked them.

"Just had a fall." Stella said dismissively as she swung her legs over the side of the Tardis and hopped down.

"All the way down there, right to the library." The Doctor added. "Hell of a climb back up."

"You're both soaking wet." Amelia pointed out as Stella shook the water from her ginger hair, running a hand through it to get it out of her bright blue eyes.

"We were in the swimming pool." The Doctor replied.

"You said you were in the library." Amelia said.

"So was the swimming pool." Stella said with a wink leaning against the Tardis.

"Are you a policeman and policewoman?" Amelia asked.

"Why?" The Doctor asked looking down at her. "Did you call a policeman?"

"Or policewoman?" Stella added.

"Police person?" The Doctor offered.

"I think they just call them police officers." Stella said thoughtfully. "Seems safe enough gender wise."

"Did you come about the crack in my wall?" Amelia asked ignoring their questions.

"What crack?" The Doctor asked the jerked violently and fell to the ground. "Argh!"

"Are you all right, mister?" Amelia asked as Stella kneeled down next to him helping him sit up.

"No, I'm fine. It's okay. This is all perfectly norm…" A breath of golden energy comes from the Doctor's mouth.

"Who are you?" Amelia asked looking at the two strange adults.

"I'm Stella Quinn." Stella replied with a smile then Amelia looked expectantly at the Doctor.

"I don't know yet. I'm still cooking." The Doctor said as he looked down at his glowing gold hands. "Does it scare you?"

"No, it just looks a bit weird." Amelia said as she watched him.

"No, no, no. The crack in your wall." Stella corrected her. "Does it scare you?"

"Yes." Amelia said nodding her head.

"Well then, no time to lose." The Doctor said standing to his feet with a burst of energy. "I'm the Doctor she's Stella. Do everything we tell you, don't ask stupid questions, and don't wander off."

The Doctor smiled as he turned and walked away with purpose away from the house and straight into a tree with an impressive smack which sent him to the ground with a thud. Stella and Amelia rushed over to him as he starred up at them from the ground.

"Are you all right?" Amelia asked.

"Early days. Steering's a bit off." The Doctor said as Stella held out her hand.

"Come on love, up you get." Stella helped him up.

-0-

Amelia led them into her home and into the kitchen where she grabbed an apple, giving it to the Doctor.

"If you're a doctor, why does your box say Police?" Amelia asked as the Doctor took a bite of the apple, then spit it out.

"That's disgusting. What is that?" The Doctor asked as he choked.

"An apple." Amelia answered.

"Apple's rubbish. I hate apples." The Doctor said.

"You said you loved them." Amelia argued.

"No, no, no. I like yoghurt. Yoghurt's my favorite. Give me yoghurt." The Doctor demanded and Amelia got him some from the fridge.

"Well if you don't want it." Stella said as she snatched the apple and munched away on it. "I personally love apples."

"I know, you love all kinds of fruits, especially with whip crème caramel dip or chocolate dip. Then there is the candy of all kinds and lollipops, you especially love lollipops." The Doctor said as he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind resting his chin on her shoulder.

"All fruits except for pears." Stella said making a face. "Not even whip crème or the dips can make those taste better."

"Well of course, pears are nasty." The Doctor said mimicking her face then smiled and straightened up when Amelia handed him the Yogurt. He pours it in his mouth and then spits it out. "I hate yoghurt. It's just stuff with bits in."

"You said it was your favorite." Amelia said getting frustrated.

"New mouth. New rules. It's like eating after cleaning your teeth. Everything tastes wrong. Argh!" The Doctor twitches violently and hit himself in the head.

"What is it? What's wrong with you?" Amelia asked as she watched him.

"Wrong with me? It's not my fault. Why can't you give me any decent food?" The Doctor demanded. "You're Scottish. Fry something."

"Hey, be nice to her, she's being a good host to us." Stella said as she popped him on the arm with a look.

"Yes dear." The Doctor replied sarcastically, his lips twitching into a smile. Stella stretched up and kissed him on the cheek.

"That's my boy." Stella said grabbing him a kitchen towel that was lying nearby and tossing it to him as Amelia got the frying pan out. The Doctor dried his hair with the towel as Stella did the same with hers before pulling it back into a French braid.

"Are those tattoos?" Amelia asked Stella, looking at the marking along the other gingers arms.

"Kind of." Stella shrugged.

"Are you a robot?" Amelia asked, noting the fluid moving through the lines.

"Kind of." Stella repeated herself.

"Ah, bacon!" The Doctor said with a smile. He quickly sat down at the table taking his utensils in hand as the plate of bacon was put before him.

"Well?" Stella asked as he took a large bite and seemed to enjoy it for a moment before he spit it back out.

"Bacon. That's bacon." The Doctor said in disgust then leaned forward seriously. "Are you trying to poison me?"

"How about we try beans?" Stella suggested as she grabbed a chair standing on top of it to reach the top shelf of a cupboard and pulling down the candy stash while Amelia started up a saucepan of baked beans heating them up.

"Ah, you see? Beans." The Doctor said with a smile until he got them in his mouth, and promptly spit them into the sink. "Beans are evil. Bad, bad beans."

"You are a picky eater, maybe something simple." Stella said looking to Amelia as she popped some hard caramels into her mouth.

"Toast?" Amelia suggested.

"Can't hurt to try." Stella said as they looked to the agitated Doctor.

"Bread and butter. Now you're talking." The Doctor said as he watched the bread being buttered. He took a bite then looked up at them for a moment before rushing to the front door and threw the plate of bread and butter out, hitting a cat.

"And stay out!" The Doctor ordered closing the door behind him as he walked back into the kitchen where Amelia was going through the fridge.

"You hit a cat." Stella said with a raised eyebrow, now chewing on some gummy worms.

"I wasn't aiming for it, it was in the line of fire." The Doctor said as he started to pace.

"We've got some carrots." Amelia said from the fridge.

"Carrots? Are you insane?" The Doctor scoffed then walked over to the fridge himself. "No. Wait. Hang on. I know what I need. I need, I need, I need fish fingers and custard."

Amelia looked less then convinced as did Stella, but they made the meal anyway and set it before the Doctor. A little while later the Doctor contentedly dipped the fish fingers into a bowl of custard and ate them up, while Amelia ate ice cream and Stella munched on a banana after dipping it in some chocolate that she had found in the stash of candy and melted.

The Doctor finished the fish fingers then picked up the bowl of custard and took a deep drink from it. He sat it back down revealing a custard mustache on his upper lip.

"You got a little…" Stella pointed to her own lip. The Doctor just smiled as he quickly leaned over to her kissing her lips soundly then pulled back leaving a smear of custard across her lips. "Doctor!"

"Now we match." The Doctor said with a bright smile. Stella retaliated by throwing her banana peel at him hitting him in the fore head and stuck there for a moment before falling into his lap.

"You are such a dork." Stella laughed wiping the custard from her mouth with a napkin as the Doctor took the peel and threw it into the sink over his shoulder without even looking.

"Funny." Amelia said with a giggle.

"Are we? Good. Funny's good." The Doctor smiled as he wiped the custard from his lip with his shirt sleeve. "What's your name?"

"Amelia Pond." Amelia replied.

"Oh, that's a brilliant name. Amelia Pond. Like a name in a fairy tale." The Doctor commented.

"Are we in Scotland, Amelia?" Stella asked leaning her head on the Doctor's shoulder as he wrapped his arm around her waist pulling her close.

"No. We had to move to England." Amelia said looking down. "It's rubbish."

"So what about your mum and dad, then? Are they upstairs?" The Doctor asked. "Thought we'd have woken them by now."

"I don't have a mum and dad." Amelia said sadly. "Just an aunt."

"I don't even have an aunt." The Doctor commented.

"You're lucky." Amelia said.

"I know." The Doctor replied. "So, your aunt, where is she?"

"She's out." Amelia said with a shrug.

"And she left you all alone?" Stella asked feeling a little upset that someone would leave a child all on their own so late at night.

"I'm not scared." Amelia said lifting her chin.

"Course, you're not. You're not scared of anything." The Doctor said. "Box falls out of the sky, man and woman falls out of a box, man eats fish custard, woman eats fruit, and look at you, just sitting there. So you know what I think?"

"What?" Amelia asked with a smile.

"Must be a hell of a scary crack in your wall." The Doctor said and Amelia's smile fell.

-0-

"You've had some cowboys in here." The Doctor said as he ran his fingers along the crack as Stella stood in front of it looking thoughtful. "Not actual cowboys, though that can happen."

"I used to hate apples, so my mum put faces on them." Amelia walks up and gives the Doctor an apple with a smiley face cut into it.

"She sounds good, your mum. I'll keep it for later." The Doctor said slipping it into his pocket.

"This wall is solid and the crack doesn't go all the way through it. So here's a thing." Stella said as she held out her hand so it hovered over the crack. "Where's the draught coming from?"

The Doctor scanned it with the sonic screwdriver then looked at the results.

"Wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey." The Doctor said looking to Stella who nodded then to Amelia. "You know what the crack is?"

"What?" Amelia asked.

"It's a crack. But I'll tell you something funny. If you knocked this wall down, the crack would stay put, because the crack isn't in the wall." The Doctor said.

"Where is it then?" Amelia asked.

"Everywhere, in everything." Stella answered.

"It's a split in the skin of the world. Two parts of space and time that should never have touched, pressed together right here in the wall of your bedroom." The Doctor added.

"Sometimes, can you hear…?" Stella started to ask.

"A voice, yes." Amelia cut in.

The Doctor listened carefully and heard a vague growling from somewhere as Stella stiffened having heard it as well. The Doctor ran over to Amelia's nightstand and grabbed her glass of water throwing the contents over his shoulder then looking back in surprise at what he'd done before running back over and placing the cup against the wall to listen to the crack.

'Prisoner Zero has escaped.'

"Prisoner Zero?" The Doctor questioned.

"Prisoner Zero has escaped. That's what I heard. What does it mean?" Amelia asked.

'Prisoner Zero has escaped.'

"It means that on the other side of this wall, there's a prison and they've lost a prisoner." The Doctor said standing back.

"And you know what that means?" Stella asked standing next to the Doctor.

"What?" Amelia asked.

"You need a better wall." Stella answered.

"The only way to close the breach is to open it all the way. The forces will invert and it'll snap itself shut or…" The Doctor trailed off looking to the two girls.

"What?" Amelia asked.

"You know when grown-ups tell you everything's going to be fine and you think they're probably lying to make you feel better?" The Doctor asked.

"Yes." Amelia said in frustration.

"Everything's going to be fine." Stella said as The Doctor took little Amelia's hand while Stella takes her other hand, then he aims the sonic screwdriver at the crack. It widens, flooding the bedroom with bright light.

'Prisoner Zero has escaped. Prisoner Zero has escaped.'

"Hello? Hello?" The Doctor called out then a giant blue eye appears and looks at them through the crack.

"What's that?" Amelia asked as a bolt of light goes to the Doctor, and he doubles over, then the crack closes again.

"There, you see? Told you it would close. Good as new." The Doctor said with a cheerful smile.

"What's that thing? Was that Prisoner Zero?" Amelia asked.

"No. I think that was Prisoner Zero's guard." Stella shook her head.

"Whatever it was, it sent me a message. Psychic paper. Takes a lovely little message." The Doctor said taking the paper out and reading it. "Prisoner Zero has escaped. But why tell us? Unless…"

"Unless what?" Amelia asked.

"Unless Prisoner Zero escaped through here." Stella answered sharing a concerned look with the Doctor.

"But he couldn't have. We'd know." The Doctor said as they ran out of the room going to the stairs, up in the room they stopped in. There was a door across the way and two at the far end where the staircase went down again.

"It's difficult. Brand new me. Nothing works yet. But there's something I'm missing. In the corner of my eye." The Doctor said as he slowly turned around.

"I'm settled and I still can't quit…" Stella started, but then the Tardis Cloister Bell tolls.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!" The Doctor chanted as he and Stella ran out of the house followed by Amelia.

"We've got to get back in there. The engines are phasing. It's going to burn!" Stella called out as they ran up to the Tardis.

"But it's just a box. How can a box have engines?" Amelia asked.

"It's not a box. It's a time machine." The Doctor answered.

"What, a real one? You've got a real time machine?" Amelia asked in disbelief.

"Not for much longer if we can't get her stabilized." Stella commented as she and the Doctor climbed up onto the edge of the Tardis.

"Five minute hop into the future should do it." The Doctor said.

"Can I come?" Amelia asked hopefully.

"Not safe in here. Not yet." Stella said shaking her head.

"Five minutes. Give us five minutes, we'll be right back." The Doctor said.

"People always say that." Amelia said sadly. The Doctor and Stella shared a look before the Doctor jumped back down to Amelia and kneeled down in front of her.

"Am I people? Is she people? Do we even look like people?" The Doctor questioned and Amelia shook her head as he stood back up. "Trust us. I'm the Doctor and she's Stella."

"See you soon." Stella said with a wink as she helped the Doctor back up and they both jumped into the Tardis.

"Geronimo!" The Doctor yelled.

"Bonsai!" Stella yelled.

Both yells were followed by a resounding splash then the doors closed and the Tardis dematerialized right in front of Amelia's eyes. Amelia ran back to her room, got a suitcase from underneath her bed and packed. Then raced out of her room down the stairs and outside not noticing that one of the doors at the end was now open.

Dressed in duffel coat and wooly hat, Amelia sat on her suitcase in the garden and waited, but when the Tardis finally materializes, steaming, it was day and Amelia was not there. The Doctor stumbled out followed by Stella who was using a fire extinguisher on the inside as they backed out finally throwing it to the side and slamming the door shut.

"Amelia! Amelia, we worked out what it was." The Doctor called out as he and Stella ran to the house. "I know what I was missing!"

"You've got to get out of there!" Stella called out as they opened the door and ran in.

"Amelia? Amelia, are you all right? Are you there?" The Doctor called out as they ran up to her bedroom door. "Prisoner Zero's here. Prisoner Zero is here! Prisoner Zero is here! Do you understand me? Prisoner Zero is…"

A floorboard creaked behind them, they turned and got knocked out by a cricket bat.

-0-

The Doctor slowly came to with the tweeting of birds to see a young lady in a micro-skirted police uniform using her radio. He looked over to Stella who groaned as she woke up and rolled her head around trying to get rid of her stiff neck.

"White male, mid-twenties and white female early twenties, breaking and entering. Send me some back-up. I've got them restrained." Amy said then noticed the Doctor and Stella awake. "Oi! You, sit still."

"Cricket bat. I'm getting cricket bat." The Doctor said rubbing his head.

"That's because we got smacked in the head by one." Stella grimaced as her body rebooted from the sudden impact, everything feeling heavy in a drowsy sort of way.

"You were breaking and entering." Amy replied.

"We were running into the house yelling, not exactly breaking and entering protocol." Stella snapped as the Doctor made to stand, but found himself cuffed as was Stella. She tried to pull on her cuff as well, but her body was still recovering and wasn't responding.

"Well, that's much better. Brand new me. Whack on the head, just what I needed." The Doctor said.

"I was just fine, I didn't need the jumpstart." Stella whined, she really hated having headaches. The Doctor reached into her pocket digging out a purple sucker and placed it into her mouth knowing that she was rebooting. Stella sighed with a satisfied smile as she rolled the sucker around in her mouth. "Much better, thank you love. Do want one?"

"No thanks love." The Doctor smiled, still trying to shake of his throbbing head pain.

"Do you want to shut up now? I've got back up on the way." Amy said as she starred down at them.

"Hang on, no, wait." The Doctor said as he looked her over. "You're a policewoman."

"And you're breaking and entering. You see how this works?" She bit out.

"But what are you doing here? Where's Amelia?" Stella demanded as she looked around.

"Amelia Pond?" Amy questioned.

"Yeah, Amelia. Little Scottish girl. Where is she? We promised her five minutes but the engines were phasing. I suppose I must have gone a bit far." The Doctor said.

"Has something happened to her?" Stella asked in concern as she noticed the woman's dark look.

"Amelia Pond hasn't lived here in a long time." She answered.

"How long?" The Doctor asked.

"Six months." Amy said shocking them.

"No. No. No. No, I can't be six months late. We said five minutes. We promised." The Doctor said sadly.

"What happened to her? What happened to Amelia Pond?" Stella demanded.

"Sarge, it's me again. Hurry it up. These guys knows something about Amelia Pond." She said into her comm.

"I need to speak to whoever lives in this house right now." The Doctor demanded.

"I live here." Amy replied.

"But you're the police." The Doctor said.

"Yes, and this is where I live." Amy said bitingly. "Have you got a problem with that?"

"How many rooms?" The Doctor asked suddenly.

"I'm sorry, what?" Amy asked.

"On this floor. How many rooms on this floor?" The Doctor said. "Count them for me now."

"Doctor I don't think…" Stella started to say.

"Why?" Amy asked cutting Rhea off.

"Because it will change your life." The Doctor said seriously.

"Five. One, two, three, four, five." Amy said pointing to each door.

"Six." The Doctor corrected her.

"Six?" Amy questioned.

"Look." The Doctor said.

"Doctor…" Stella tried again.

"Look where?" Amelia asked.

"Exactly where you don't want to look, where you never want to look, the corner of your eye." The Doctor answered as Amy slowly turned around looking for the sixth door. "Look behind you."

"That's, that is not possible." Amy said when she spotted it. "How's that possible?"

"There's a perception filter all-round the door. Sensed it the last time we were here, should've seen it." The Doctor said berating himself.

"But that's a whole room. That's a whole room I've never even noticed." Amy said in shock moving slowly toward the door.

"The filter stops you noticing, something came a while ago to hide." Stella said with an annoyed sigh.

"And it's still hiding, and you need to uncuff us now." The Doctor said.

"I don't have the key." Amy said ignoring them as she crept closer to the door. "I lost it."

"How can you have lost it? The Doctor snapped. "Stay away from that door! Do not touch that door! Listen to me, do not open that. Why does no-one ever listen to me? Do I just have a face that nobody listens to…again?"

"Why did you tell her to look? What did that accomplish?!" Stella snapped as Amy went into the room.

"I don't know, I wanted her to believe us." The Doctor replied.

"Then why didn't you show her your screwdriver?! Or the Psychic paper?!" Stella rolled her eyes as the Doctor's eye brows shot up.

"My screwdriver, where is it?" The Doctor said as he patted down his pockets. "Silver thing, blue at the end. Where did it go?"

"There's nothing here." Amy said from the room.

"Whatever's there stopped you seeing the room." Stella said hoping to dissuade her from looking around anymore. "What makes you think you could see it? Now please, just get out."

"Silver, blue at the end?" Amy asked.

"My screwdriver, yeah." The Doctor replied.

"It's here." Amy said.

"Must have rolled under the door." The Doctor said sharing an uneasy look with Stella as the Doctor continued to pull on his cuff and Stella tried to regain control over her body faster.

"Yeah, must have." Amy said. "And then it must have jumped up on the table."

"Oh crap." Stella muttered.

"Get out of there." The Doctor yelled. "Get out of there! Get out! Get out of there!"

"What is it? What are you doing?" Stella called out.

"There's nothing here, but…" Amy said.

"Corner of your eye." The Doctor said.

"Stop talking!" Stella snapped.

"What is it?" Amy asked.

"Don't try to see it. If it knows you've seen it, it will kill you. Don't look at it. Do not look." Stella yelled, but a scream from Amy told her that she had been ignored. "Get out!"

Amy rushed out of the room as fast as she could and over to them, panic clearly displayed across her face.

"Give me that." The Doctor grabbed the sonic screwdriver from her and locked the door, then tried to free himself and Stella. "Come on. What's the bad alien done to you?"

"Will that door hold it?" Amy asked starring fearfully at the door.

"Oh, yeah, yeah, of course, it's an interdimensional multiform from outer space." The Doctor said sarcastically. "They're all terrified of wood."

There was a bright light in the room and a strange noise.

"What's that? What's it doing?" Amy asked terrified.

"I don't know. Getting dressed?" The Doctor replied.

"Run. Just go. Your back up's coming. We'll be fine." Stella shooed her off.

"There is no back up." Amy said.

"I heard you on the radio." The Doctor argued. "You called for backup."

"I was pretending. It's a pretend radio." Amy replied in frustration.

"You're a policewoman." The Doctor said.

"I'm a kissogram!" She takes off her cap and her long red hair falls down.

"Oh…well… that's just…crap." Stella groaned. "Doctor, get these cuffs off." The sixth door falls down to reveal a workman in overalls and toolbelt, with a black dog. "Now!"

"But it's just…" Amelia said looking at the man and dog.

"No, it isn't." The Doctor said. "Look at the faces."

"What?" Amelia questioned as the man barked instead of the dog. "I'm sorry, but what?"

"It's all one creature. One creature disguised as two. Clever old multi-form. A bit of a rush job, though." Stella commented, the feeling back in her legs and returning to her arms.

"Got the voice a bit muddled, did you? Mind you, where did you get the pattern from? You'd need a psychic link, a live feed. How did you fix that?" The Doctor questioned as the man and dog advanced.

"Oh well this just gets better and better." Stella said then held up her free hand, happy that it was working again, but mad that she couldn't make a safe escape now that it was there. She glared at the man and dog and spoke in a stern voice. "Stay, boy! Stay! Bad, bad dog, you stay right there."

The man halted and cocked his head like a dog.

"Nice one love." The Doctor said smiling at her. "Her me and her, we're safe. Want to know why? She sent for back up."

"I didn't send for back-up!" Amy said.

"I know. That was a clever lie to save our lives." The Doctor replied. "Okay, yeah, no back up. And that's why we're safe. Alone, we're not a threat to you. If we had back up, you'd have to kill us."

'Attention, Prisoner Zero. The human residence is surrounded. Attention Prisoner Zero. The human residence is surrounded.'

"What's that?" Amy asked.

"Well, that would be back up." Stella said.

"Okay, one more time. We do have back up and that's definitely why we're safe." The Doctor said with a grin.

'Prisoner Zero will vacate the human residence or the human residence will be incinerated.'

"Well, safe apart from, you know, incineration." Stella said with a grimace.

'Prisoner Zero will vacate the human residence or the human residence will be incinerated.'

"Come on, work, work, work, come on." The Doctor said as he struggled with his screwdriver.

'Prisoner Zero will vacate the human residence or the human residence will be incinerated.'

"Hold still." Stella gripped the cuff and pulled her snapping it off of her wrist then did the same for the Doctor pulling his apart.

"Run! Run!" The Doctor said as he grabbed Stella's hand as he raced out of the house grabbing Amy's as well.

'Prisoner Zero will vacate the human residence or the human residence will be incinerated.'

-0-

They ran out into the backyard making their way to the Tardis.

"Kissogram?" The Doctor questioned as they raced out into the Garden.

"Yes, a kissogram. Work through it." Amy snapped as he followed them out.

"Why'd you pretend to be a policewoman?" The Doctor asked.

"You broke into my house." Amy defended herself. "It was this or a French maid. What's going on? Tell me. Tell me!"

"An alien convict is hiding in your spare room disguised as a man and a dog, and some other aliens are about to incinerate your house." Stella said quickly. "Any questions?"

"Yes." Amy answered.

"Us too." The Doctor said as they ran up to the Tardis, but the doors wouldn't budge. "No, no, no, no! Don't do that, not now! It's still rebuilding. Not letting us in."

'Prisoner Zero will vacate the human residence or the human residence will be incinerated.'

"Come on." Amy said grabbing their hands and pulling them along, but the Doctor caught sight of the shed.

"No, wait, hang on. Wait, wait, wait, wait. The shed." The Doctor said as he pulled out of Amy's grasp as did Stella and ran over to the shed. "I destroyed that shed last time I was here. Smashed it to pieces."

"So there's a new one. Let's go." Amy said trying to get him to leave.

"Yeah, but the new one's got old." Stella pointed out.

"It's ten years old at least. Twelve years. We're not six months late, we're twelve years late." The Doctor said.

"He's coming." Amy said looking up at the multiform.

"You said six months. Why did you say six months?" The Doctor demanded.

"We've got to go." Amy urged.

"This matters. This is important." The Doctor snapped. "Why did you say six months?"

"Why did you say five minutes!" Amy snapped as she whirled around on them.

"What?" The Doctor breathed out.

"Come on." Amy said grabbing their hands again as she pulled them down the street

"What?" Stella said.

"Come on!" Amy repeated.

"What?" Stella and the Doctor said together.

'Prisoner Zero will vacate the human residence or the human residence will be incinerated.'

-0-

"You're Amelia." The Doctor said still in shock.

"And you're late." Amy said as they walked down the village lane.

"Amelia Pond, you're that little girl." He said.

"I'm Amelia and you're late." Amy snapped as Stella watched them argue back and forth.

"What happened?" Stella asked.

"Twelve years." Amy replied.

"You hit us with a cricket bat." He complained.

"Twelve years." Amy said ignoring Helen.

"A cricket bat." The Doctor emphasized.

"Twelve years and four psychiatrists." Amy snapped.

"Four?" The Doctor questioned.

"I kept biting them." Amy replied.

"Why?" Stella asked with a smile at the thought of her chomping on a therapist.

"They said you weren't real." Amy replied.

"Prisoner Zero will vacate the human residence or the human residence will be incinerated" Was being repeated from the Ice cream van speakers.

"No, no, no, come on. What?" Amy said when they spotted the van.

"We're being staked out by an ice-cream van." Stella said. "On a normal day that would be so cool, but today it makes me feel a little worried."

"Prisoner Zero will vacate the human residence or the human residence will be incinerated."

The Doctor ran up to the van followed by Stella and Amy.

"What's that? Why are you playing that?" The Doctor demanded.

"It's supposed to be Claire De Lune." The Ice-Cream man said in confusion. The Doctor picked up the small radio player sitting there and listened.

"Prisoner Zero will vacate the human residence or the human residence will be incinerated. Repeat. Prisoner Zero will vacate the human residence or the human residence will be incinerated."

It is also on a jogger's iPod and a woman's mobile phone.

"Doctor, Stella, what's happening?" Amy asked.

"Repeat, Prisoner Zero will vacate the human residence or the human residence will be incinerated."

The Doctor and Stella didn't answer, but darted away towards the nearest home. They ran straight into the house where the big eyeball was on every channel on the television. An elderly lady was jabbing at the remote control trying to get it to change with no success.

"Repeat, Prisoner Zero will vacate the human residence or the human residence will be incinerated."

"Hello! Sorry to burst in. We're doing a special on television faults in this area." The Doctor said just as Amy burst in.

"Also crimes." Stella said quickly. "Let's have a look."

"I was just about to phone. It's on every channel." The old woman said then looked over at Amy. "Oh, hello Amy dear. Are you a policewoman now?"

"Well, sometimes." Amy said uncomfortably.

"I thought you were a nurse." Mrs. Angelo said in confusion.

"I can be a nurse." Amy said.

"Or actually a nun?" Mrs. Angelo asked getting more confused.

"I dabble." Amy said quickly.

"That's nice." Angelo said. "Who is your friend?"

"Who's Amy You were Amelia." The Doctor said.

"Yeah? Now I'm Amy." Amy answered.

"Amelia Pond. That was a great name." The Doctor said.

"Bit fairy tale." Amy said.

"I know you, don't I? I've seen you somewhere before." Angelo said as she looked the Doctor over.

"Not me. Brand new face." The Doctor replied as he stretched and opened his mouth as far as they would go. "First time on. And what sort of job's a kiss-o-gram?"

"I go to parties and I kiss people." Amy said not really looking at him. "With outfits. It's a laugh."

"You were a little girl five minutes ago." The Doctor said.

"You're worse than my aunt." Amy said rolling her eyes.

"I'm the Doctor. I'm worse than everybody's aunt." He said facing Mrs. Angelo rather than Amy, then hearing Stella's laugh quickly corrected himself. "And that is not how I'm introducing myself."

"Repetez. Le Prisonnier. Zero wird der menschliche."

"Okay, so it's everywhere, in every language. They're broadcasting to the whole world." Stella said as the Doctor looked out of the window.

"What's up there? What are you looking for?" Amy asked as the Doctor ducked back into the house.

"Okay. Planet this size, two poles, your basic molten core? They're going to need a forty percent fission blast." A young man comes in and the Doctor spoke to him getting right up into his face. "But they'll have to power up first, won't they? So assuming a medium sized starship, that's 20 minutes. What do you think, twenty minutes?" The Doctor asked as he bounced on the tip of his toes. "Yeah, twenty minutes. We've got twenty minutes."

"Twenty minutes to what?" Amy asked.

"Are you the Doctor?" Jeff asked then he looked to Stella. "And you're Stella."

"He is, isn't he? He's the Doctor! The Raggedy Doctor and the Flower Child." Angelo said in realization. "All those cartoons you two did when you were little. The Raggedy Doctor and the Flower Child. It's them."

"Shut up." Amy said in a sotto voice.

"Cartoons?" The Doctor looked at them, bemused, sitting down on the sofa.

"Gran, it's them, isn't it? It's really them!" Jeff said in excitement as he looked Stella up and down. "Wow, you're even prettier than the pictures, I'm Jeff, nice to meet you."

"You…you to." Stella said as she took a step back.

Not liking Jeff's lingering look the Doctor pulled Stella down so that she was sitting next to him his arm wrapped possessively around her waist while glaring at Jeff. Stella smiled at his actions kissing his chin as she scooted closer to him making him smile.

"Jeff, shut up. Twenty minutes to what?" Amy asked The Doctor

"The human residence will be incinerated. Repeat."

"The human residence. They're not talking about your house, they're talking about the planet. Somewhere up there, there's a spaceship, and it's going to incinerate the planet." The Doctor explained.

"…will be incinerated. Repeat, Prisoner Zero will vacate the human residence or the human residence will be incinerated."

"Twenty minutes to the end of the world." Stella said ominously.

"Repeat, Prisoner Zero will vacate 'the human residence, or the human residence will be incinerated." The eyeball is one of many snowflake cum icicle type spaceships above the Earth. "Repeat. Prisoner Zero will vacate the human residence or the human residence will be incinerated."

-0-

The Doctor, Stella, and Amy walked down the middle of the road past the village green. A young boy ran down a village road with a toy helicopter as they walked quickly in the opposite direction.

"What is this place? Where am I?" The Doctor asked looking around.

"Leadworth." Amy answered.

"Where's the rest of it?" Stella asked.

"This is it." Amy said gesturing around herself.

"Is there an airport?" The Doctor asked.

"No." Amy answered.

"A nuclear power station?" The Doctor asked.

"No." Amy said.

"Even a little one?" He asked.

"No." Amy said shaking her head.

"Nearest city?" He asked.

"Gloucester. Half an hour by car." Amy said.

"We don't have half an hour. Do we have a car?" He asked.

"No." Amy said.

"Well, that's good. Fantastic, that is. Twenty minutes to save the world and I've got a post office." The Doctor grumbled.

"It's closed." Stella said pointing to the closed sign. The Doctor ran an agitated hand through his hair.

"What is that?" He pointed ahead, and then ran towards it pulling Stella with him.

"It's a duck pond." Amy said.

"Why aren't there any ducks?" The Doctor asked.

"I don't know. There's never any ducks." Amy replied.

"Then how do you know it's a duck pond?" The Doctor asked.

"It just is." Amy snapped.

"Maybe we should ask JD Salinger." Stella smarted off as she pulled on the end of her braid. "He had a thing for duck ponds in his book."

"Is it important, the duck pond?" Amy asked. The Doctor clutched his chest and collapsed on the ground. Stella kneeled down helping him sit up and rubbed his back comfortingly, kissing the top of his head.

"I don't know. Why would I know?" The Doctor gasped out leaning into Stella's touch.

"Are you ok love?" Stella asked gently.

"This is too soon. I'm not ready, I'm not done yet." The Doctor replied laying his head on Stella's shoulder, nuzzling into her neck.

"It's ok; we'll figure it out love, no worries." Stella said kissing the top of his head again, and then slowly it started to get dark.

"What's happening? Why's it going dark?" Amy asked as black disc covered the sun, like a total eclipse. "What's wrong with the sun?"

"Nothing. You're looking at it through a force field." The Doctor explained as Stella helped him up.

"They've sealed off your upper atmosphere. Now they're getting ready to boil the planet." Stella told her as she and the Doctor entwined their fingers.

"Oh, and here they come. The human race. The end comes, as it was always going to, down a video phone." The Doctor said sarcastically.

"This isn't real, is it? This is some kind of big wind up." Amy breathed out.

"Why would we wind you up?" The Doctor asked sharing a confused look with Stella.

"You told me you had a time machine." Amy said.

"And you believed me." The Doctor pointed out.

"Then I grew up." Amy said.

"Oh, you never want to do that." Stella shook her head.

"No. Hang on. Shut up. Wait. I missed it. I saw it and I missed it. What did I see? I saw. What did I see? I saw, I saw, I saw…" The Doctor hit his head. People all over the village green taking photographs of the sun, except duplicate Barney and his dog, and Rory photographing the people. The time is 11:30. "Twenty minutes. I can do it. Twenty minutes, the planet burns. Run to your loved ones and say goodbye, or stay and help us."

"No." Amy said.

"I'm sorry?" The Doctor asked in confusion.

"No!" Amy repeated as she grabbed the Doctors tie.

"Amy, no, no, what are you doing?" Stella called out as Amy dragged the Doctor to a car that had just pulled up and slammed his tie in the door, then took the keys from the driver and locked it.

"Are you out of your mind?" Stella snapped.

"Who are you?" Amy demanded.

"You know who we are." The Doctor said.

"No, really. Who are you?" Amy pressed.

"Look at the sky. End of the world, twenty minutes." Stella pointed out.

"Well, better talk quickly, then." Amy said as Rhea gave up with an angry huff making to pull the Doctor's tie out, but he stopped her shaking his head. He needed Amy to trust him and to get that he had to prove himself.

"Amy, I am going to need my car back." Mr. Henderson said.

"Yes, in a bit. Now go and have coffee." Amy said gesturing with her head.

"Right, yes." Mister Henderson headed toward the coffee shop.

"Catch." The Doctor tossed her the apple with the face carved in it, still fresh. "I'm the Doctor she's Stella. We're time travelers. Everything we told you twelve years ago is true. We're real. What's happening in the sky is real, and if you don't let me go right now, everything you've ever known is over."

"I don't believe you." Amy said looking up from the apple.

"Just twenty minutes. Just believe me for twenty minutes. Look at it. Fresh as the day you gave it to me. And you know it's the same one. Amy, believe for twenty minutes." The Doctor pleaded. Amy looked from the Doctor over the where Stella was looking at her. Amy rolled her eyes and unlocked Mister Henderson's car.

"What do I do?" Amy asked.

"Stop that nurse." The Doctor said pointing out Rory who was still on his phone. Amy's face lit up in a smile as she took off after the nurse with the Doctor in the lead and Stella following. The Doctor ran onto the village green and grabbed Rory's phone.

"The sun's going out, and you're photographing a man and a dog. Why?" The Doctor demanded looking at the phone.

"Amy." Rory said uncertainly.

"Oh, this is Rory, he's a friend." Amy said quickly.

"Boyfriend." Rory corrected.

"Kind of boyfriend." Amy corrected his correction.

"Amy…" Rory started.

"Man and dog. Why?" The Doctor snapped.

"Oh my God, it's them." Rory said.

"Just answer his question, please." Amy said.

"It's them, though. The Doctor and Stella. The Raggedy Doctor and the Flower Child." Rory said.

"We need to see those cartoons." Stella commented as the Doctor nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, they came back." Amy said.

"But they were a story. They were a game." Rory continued to stutter out.

"Man and dog. Why? Tell me now." The Doctor tried again taking hold of Rory.

"Sorry. Because he can't be there. Because he's…" Rory started to say and was joined by the Doctor and Stella who had caught on.

"In a hospital, in a coma." They finished together.

"Yeah." Rory said.

"Knew it. Multiform, you see? Disguise itself as anything, but it needs a life feed, a psychic link with a living but dormant mind." The Doctor said. The man from the picture barked at them alerting them to his presence.

"Prisoner Zero." Stella said looking to the man and dog.

"What? There's a Prisoner Zero too?" Rory asked still reeling.

"Yes." Amy said as one of the eyeball spaceships comes down.

"See, that ship up there is scanning this area for non-terrestrial technology. And nothing says non-terrestrial like a sonic screwdriver." The Doctor made all the streetlights explode, the car alarms went off and a poor woman's mobility scooter zoomed off down the road, then a fire engine went past on its own, two tone blaring.

"Oi, come back here! Come back!" A fireman yelled racing after the fire truck.

"I think someone's going to notice, don't you?" Stella said in a sing song voice as the Doctor blew up a red telephone box, then the screwdriver exploded.

"No, no! No, don't do that!" The Doctor cried out.

"Look, it's going." Rory pointed out.

"No, come back. He's here! Come back! He's here. Prisoner Zero is here. Come back, he's here! Prisoner Zero is…" The Doctor called out desperately as Prisoner Zero went squidgy and disappeared down a drain cover.

"Doctor! The drain. It just sort of melted and went down the drain." Amy said.

"Well, of course it did." The Doctor grumbled.

"What do we do now?" Stella asked in agitation.

"It's hiding in human form. We need to drive it into the open." The Doctor said starting to pace. "No Tardis, no screwdriver, seventeen minutes. Come on, think. Think!"

"I'll call them back." Stella said about to power up her own sonic abilities.

"So that thing, that hid in my house for twelve years?" Amy asked.

"Multiforms can live for millennia. Twelve years is a pit-stop." The Doctor said.

"So how come you two show up again on the same day that lot do? The same minute!" Amy asked.

"They're looking for him, but they followed us. They saw us through the crack, got a fix, they're only late because we are." Stella explained.

"What's he on about?" Rory asked.

"Nurse boy, give me your phone." The Doctor said holding out his hand.

"How can they be real? They were never real." Rory said.

"Phone. Now. Give me." The Doctor ordered more sternly. Stella rolled her eyes and snatched Rory's phone then handed it to the Doctor who took it thankfully.

"They were just a game. We were kids. You made me dress up as him and you dressed up as her." Rory said as the Doctor flicks through the images on the iPhone with Stella, both of them pausing for a split instant at Rory's words while Amy blushed in embarrassment.

"Please tell me you have pictures." Stella said with an interested look.

"These photos, they're are all coma patients?" The Doctor asked looking back to the phone.

"Yeah." Rory said nodding.

"No, they're all the multiform. Eight comas, eight disguises for Prisoner Zero." Stella said.

"He had a dog, though. There's a dog in a coma?" Amy said.

"Well, the coma patient dreams he's walking a dog, Prisoner Zero gets a dog." The Doctor explained. "Laptop! Your friend, what was his name? Not him, the good-looking one."

"Thanks." Rory said rolling his eyes.

"Jeff." Amy answered right away.

"Oh, thanks." Rory said with even more sarcasm.

"He had a laptop in his bag. A laptop. Big bag, big laptop. I need Jeff's laptop." The Doctor said. "You two, get to the hospital. Get everyone out of that ward. Clear the whole floor. Phone me when you're done."

The Doctor took Stella's hand and pulling her along.

"Your car. Come on." Amy said pulling Rory along.

"But how can he be here? How can the Doctor and Stella be here?" Amy and Rory get into a proper Mini, and drive off.

-0-

Jeff was lounging on his bed, using his laptop when Stella and the Doctor burst in.

"Hello. Laptop. Give me." The Doctor said trying to wrench the laptop from Jeff who was reluctant to give them up.

"No, no, no, no, wait." Jeff said as he struggled with the Doctor.

"It's fine. Give it here." The Doctor said pulling on the laptop.

"Hang on!" Jeff tried, but lost his grip. The Doctor took the laptop and saw what Jeff was browsing as he sat on the end of the bed with Stella.

"Blimey. Get a girlfriend, Jeff." The Doctor said as Stella looked to see what it was.

"What…?" Stella said in shock, the Doctor quickly covering her eyes with one hand using his other to get out of the page, Stella pushing his hand away giving him a look as Mrs. Angelo entered.

"Gran." Jeff said in panic.

"What are you doing?" Mrs. Angelo asked.

"The sun's gone wibbly, so right now, somewhere out there, there's going to be a big old video conference call. All the experts in the world panicking at once, and do you know what they need?" The Doctor asked.

"You of course." Stella said with a smile.

"Exactly." The Doctor said not taking his eyes from the computer as he kissed her cheek while he typed. "Ah, and here they all are. All the big boys. NASA, Jodrell Bank, Tokyo Space Centre, Patrick Moore."

"I like Patrick Moore." Mrs. Angelo said.

"I'll get you his number, but watch him, he's a devil." The Doctor said with a wink.

"You can't just hack in on a call like that." Jeff said.

"Can't I?" Six faces come up on the screen, all labeled as above plus ESA and CSIRO while the Doctor grinned smugly.

"Who are you?" Moore asked.

"This is a secure call, what are you doing here?" A man said.

"Hello." The Doctor showed them his psychic paper. "Yeah, I know you should switch me off, but before you do, watch this."

"It's here too, I'm getting it." Moore said as they all reported the information they were getting.

"Fermat's Theorem, the proof. And I mean the real one. Never been seen before. Poor old Fermat, got killed in a duel before he could write it down. My fault. I slept in." The Doctor mumbled. "Oh, and here's an oldie, but a goodie." The Doctor said in excitement. "Why electrons have mass. And a personal favorite of mine, faster than light travel with two diagrams and a joke. Look at your screens. Whoever I am, I'm a genius. Look at the sun. You need all the help you can get. Fellas, pay attention."

"Sir, what are you doing?" NASA demanded.

"I'm writing a computer virus. Very clever, super-fast, and a tiny bit alive, but don't let on. And why am I writing it on a phone?" The Doctor asked as he typed, but didn't wait for an answer. "Never mind, you'll find out. Okay, I'm sending this to all your computers. Get everyone who works for you sending this everywhere. Email, text, Facebook, Bebo, Twitter, radar dish, whatever you've got. Any questions?"

"Who is your lady friend?" Patrick said winking at Mrs. DeAngelo.

"Patrick, behave." The Doctor said.

"I'll send you her contact info later." Stella grinned at Mrs. DeAngelo who blushed with a smile.

"I'll hold you to that." Patrick smirked.

"What does this virus do?" The man asked.

"It's a reset command, that's all. It resets counters. It gets in the wifi and resets every counter it can find. Clocks, calendars, anything with a chip will default at zero at exactly the same time. But yeah, I could be lying, why should you trust me? I'll let my best man explain." The Doctor said glancing at Jeff, who didn't move then motioned calling to Jeff in a sotto voice. "Jeff, you're my best man."

"You what?" Jeff asked. Stella rolled his eyes turning the screen away.

"Listen to me. In ten minutes, you're going to be a legend. In ten minutes, everyone on that screen is going to be offering you any job you want. But first, you have to be magnificent." Stella explained for the Doctor. "You have to make them trust you and get them working. This is it, Jeff, right here, right now. This is when you fly. Today's the day you save the world."

"Why me?" Jeff asked.

"It's your bedroom." The Doctor said as if it was obvious. "Now go, go, go."

"Good luck Jeff." Stella said as the Doctor ran out pulling her along.

"Okay, guys, let's do this." Jeff said in determination. The Doctor popped his head back into the room.

"Oh, and delete your internet history." The Doctor said pointing at Jeff then ducking back out of the room.

"Now were going to the hospital, right?" Stella asked as they ran into the street.

"Yep." The Doctor said looking up and down the street.

"We'll need a ride." Stella said.

"I have an idea." The Doctor said and Stella followed his gaze.

"Oh, you're kidding me." Stella said her eyes wide with excitement as the Doctor laughed pulling her down the street and they hoped into their ride taking off. The phone rang as they drove.

"Hello." The Doctor said answering the phone. He nodded a couple of times. "She said the whole place is locked down."

"Tell her to look in mirror." Stella replied.

"Right, good idea." The Doctor said. "Look in a mirror." The Doctor nodded into the phone a few more times. "Don't worry, I've commandeered a vehicle." The Doctor said as he and Stella raced down the street in a large fire engine. "Woo!"

"This is so much fun." Stella grinned.

"You want a go?" The Doctor as he sounded the horn and siren.

"Of course." Stella said and the Doctor pulled her over so she was in his lap taking her turn with the siren. "You just wanted me on your lap."

"Maybe." He answered kissing her neck, then held the phone back up. "Are you in?"

"Yep." Amy answered. "But so's Prisoner Zero."

"You need to get out of there." The Doctor said then he heard something on the other side of the line. "Amy? Amy, what's happening?

"What's wrong?" Stella asked.

"I don't know. Amy, talk to me!" The Doctor said.

"We're in the coma ward, but it's here. It's getting in." Amy shouted into the phone.

"Which window are you?" The Doctor asked.

"What, sorry?" Amy said in confusion.

"Which window?" The Doctor yelled.

"First floor, on the left, fourth from the end." Amy answered.

"Oh, dear little Amelia Pond. I've watched you grow up. Twelve years, and you never even knew I was there. Little Amelia Pond, waiting for her magic Doctor and Stella to return. But not this time, Amelia." They heard Prisoner Zero over the phone, then hung up and sent a quick text.

Amy got the text from Rory's phone.

'Duck!'

They do, and the fire engine ladder came crashing through the window. The Doctor entered through the smashed window first then helped Stella through.

"Right! Hello. Am I late? No, three minutes to go. So still time." The Doctor said.

"Time for what, Time Lord?" The Prisoner sneered.

"Take the disguise off. They'll find you in a heartbeat. Nobody dies." Stella said.

"I think not cyborg. The Atraxi will kill me this time. If I am to die, let there be fire." The prisoner roared.

"Okay. You came to this world by opening a crack in space and time. Do it again. Just leave." The Doctor said.

"I did not open the crack." Zero said.

"Somebody did." Stella said.

"The cracks in the skin of the universe, don't you know where they came from? You don't, do you?" Zero said looking to the Doctor and Stella. "The Doctor and Stella in the Tardis doesn't know. Doesn't know. Doesn't know!" Zero said in the child's voice then changed back into the adult's voice. "The universe is cracked. The Pandorica will open. Silence will fall."

"That doesn't sound so good." Stella said worriedly.

"And we're off! Look at that. Look at that!" The Doctor said looking at the clock which read 0:00. "Yeah, I know, just a clock. Whatever. But do you know what's happening right now? In one little bedroom, my team are working. Jeff and the world. And do you know what they're doing?

"They're spreading the word all over the world, quantum fast. The word is out. And do you know what the word is? The word is Zero. Now, me, if I was up in the sky in a battleship, monitoring all Earth communications, I'd probably take that as a hint." Stella picked up, clapping her hands in excitement.

"And if I had a whole battle fleet surrounding the planet, I'd be able track a simple old computer virus to its source in, what, under a minute? The source, by the way, is right here." There is a bright light outside. "Oh! And I think they just found us!"

"The Atraxi are limited. While I'm in this form, they'll still be unable to detect me. They've tracked a phone, not me." Zero said smirked.

"Yeah, but this is the good bit. I mean, this is my favorite bit. Do you know what this phone is full of? Pictures of you. Every form you've learned to take, right here. Ooo, and being uploaded about now. And the final score is, no Tardis, no screwdriver, two minutes to spare." The Doctor said then flung out his arms. "Who da man?" No one spoke as they stared at him until he looked miffed. "Oh, I'm never saying that again. Fine."

"You are the man love." Stella said as she pecked him on the corner of his mouth making him smile.

"Then I shall take a new form." Zero said.

"Oh, stop it. You know you can't. It takes months to form that kind of psychic link." Stella waved him off.

"And I've had years." Zero replied then Amy collapsed causing them all to dart over to her.

"No! Amy? You've got to hold on. Amy? Don't sleep! You've got to stay awake, please." The Doctor said trying to shake her awake.

"Doctor." Rory said. Prisoner Zero had transformed into a gangly man with a ripped shirt green hazel eyes and floppy blonde brown hair.

"Well, that's rubbish. Who's that supposed to be?" The Doctor said as he stood up.

"Doctor, it's you." Stella said looking up at him.

"Me? Is that what I look like?" The Doctor asked glancing from her to his double.

"You don't know?" Rory asked.

"Busy day." The Doctor replied as another a copy of Stella appeared next to the Doctor holding his hand. "Oh I definitely know who that is."

"Thanks love." Stella grinned looking over her copy. "That's a little creepy though."

"Why us, though? You're linked with her. Why are you copying us?" The Doctor asked as a little girl appeared between the duplicates holding their hands.

"I'm not." Zero sneered. "Poor Amy Pond. Still such a child inside. Dreaming of the magic Doctor and Stella she knows will return to save her. What a disappointment you've been."

"No, she's dreaming about us because she can hear us." Stella said as her face lit up in realization.

"Amy, don't just hear me, listen." The Doctor said to Amy quickly. "Remember the room, the room in your house you couldn't see. Remember you went inside. Stella and I tried to stop, but you did. You went in the room. You went inside. Amy, dream about what you saw."

"No. No. No!" Zero screamed as it transformed back into itself.

"Well done, Prisoner Zero." Stella said with a clap. "A perfect impersonation of yourself."

"Prisoner Zero is located. Prisoner Zero is restrained."

"Silence, Doctor. Silence will fall." Prisoner Zero disappears in a rush of wind.

"The sun. It's back to normal, right? That's, that's good, yeah? That means it's over." Rory said as Amy wakes up. "Amy. Are you okay? Are you with us?"

"What happened?" Amy asked groggily.

"They did it. The Doctor and Stella did it." Rory said.

"No, we didn't." The Doctor said as he picked up Rory's phone.

"What are you doing?" Rory asked.

"Tracking the signal back. Sorry in advance." The Doctor said.

"About what?" Rory asked.

"The bill." The Doctor said and Rory groaned.

"Not to worry." Stella said digging into her pocket pulling out some bills handing them to Rory. "This will cover it."

"Oh, I couldn't…" Rory started then saw how much she gave him meaning how much the bill would be. "Thank you."

"Anytime." Stella smiled as the Doctor phoned the Atraxi.

"Oi, I didn't say you could go! Article fifty seven of the Shadow Proclamation. This is a fully established level five planet, and you were going to burn it? What? Did you think no-one was watching? You lot, back here, now." The Doctor ordered. "Okay, now I've done it."

"Did he just bring them back? Did he just save the world from aliens and then bring all the aliens back again?" Rory asked in a panic as they followed the Doctor and Stella down the hall.

"Where are you going?" Amy asked.

"The roof." He said then Stella spotted the locker room.

"No, hang on." Stella said pulling the Doctor into the locker room.

"What's in here?" Amy asked.

"We're saving the world - we need clothes." Stella replied as they went through the clothes.

"To hell with the raggedy." The Doctor said. "Time to put on a show."

"You just summoned aliens back to Earth. Actual aliens, deadly aliens, aliens of death, and now you're taking your clothes off. Amy, they're taking their clothes off." Rory said in a stuttering shocked voice.

"Turn your back if it embarrasses you." The Doctor said as he picked through the clothing and Rory turned around.

"Are you stealing clothes now? Those clothes belong to people, you know." Rory said then looked to Amy trying to impress her. "Are you not going to turn your back?"

"No." Amy said.

"Yes you are, he's my fiancé so out." Stella said as she walked over and forced Amy out of the room, a thankful Rory following. Stella walked back over to her choice of clothing and started to take off her torn articles.

"A little jealous there love." The Doctor pointed out.

"Extremely so." Stella replied. "Just as jealous as you were when Jeff was ogling me." She was down to her bra and underwear when she saw the Doctor peeking out of the corner of his eye. Stella smirked as she allowed her eyes to look him over causing him to blush wildly. "If you get to look don't be surprised if I take the same liberties."

"Take all you want love." The Doctor smirked flexing his new lean muscles then his face seemed to fall a bit. "I changed."

"I noticed." Stella said with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm not the same man you fell in love with though and I thought…" The Doctor began to speak.

"Doctor…" Stella cut him off gently placing her hands on either side of his face gently stroking his cheeks with her thumbs as he covered her hands with his holding them in place. "I will never stop loving you no matter what happens or what form you take, just like you didn't stop loving me when I changed. It's like Boe told me, new man same hearts and for as long as I have your love you'll have mine."

"Then we'll be in love forever." The Doctor said gently as he leaned down capturing her lips in a deep kiss full of love.

"Forever sounds perfect." Stella smiled as they pulled apart. "Now I do believe we still need to get dressed." Stella giggled when the Doctor glanced down at their half-dressed state and blushed stepping back. Rolling her eyes she grabbed a white off the shoulder long sleeved lace crop top, a green spaghetti strap crop top that went underneath, dark skinny jeans that tucked into tan ankle boots and she fixed her hair putting her white and pink daisy hair band back around her head. "Ah, much better."

"If you say so." The Doctor said cheekily as he pulled on a button up shirt, slacks, and a tweed jacket.

"We can flirt later love, you have the Atraxi to deal with." Stella said as he wrapped his arm around her waist.

"Right." The Doctor said giving her a quick kiss before they left the locker room grabbing Rory and Amy as they went upstairs to the roof where the Atraxi was hovering overhead.

"So this was a good idea, was it? They were leaving." Amy said.

"Leaving is good. Never coming back is better. Come on, then! The Doctor will see you now." The eyeball drops onto the roof and scans the Doctor As he looked over several ties draped around his neck.

"You are not of this world." The Atraxi said.

"No, but I've put a lot of work into it." He looks at his selection of ties. "Oh, hmm, I don't know. What do you think?"

"No, maybe this one." Stella said looking at another both of them tossing the ones they didn't like over their shoulders so they hit Rory and Amy.

"Is this world important?" Atraxi asked.

"Important? What's that mean, important? Six billion people live here. Is that important? Here's a better question. Is this world a threat to the Atraxi? Well, come on. You're monitoring the whole planet. Is this world a threat?" There is a projection of the world between them.

"No."

"Are the peoples of this world guilty of any crime by the laws of the Atraxi?" Rhea asked.

"No."

"Okay. One more. Just one. Is this world protected? Because you're not the first lot to come here. Oh, there have been so many." The projection shows the Daleks and other enemies of the Doctor as well as enemies that Stella had faced in her time that they knew of. "And what you've got to ask is, what happened to them?" A run through of Stella and all the previous Doctors, and then this Doctor steps through the projection with a jacket and bow tie. "Hello. I'm the Doctor and this is Stella. Basically, run."

The eyeball zooms back to its ship and leaves, very fast.

"I love you." Stella said with a smile.

"Love you to." The Doctor smiled back. There is a brief materialization sound, then the Doctor takes a glowing Tardis key out of his new jacket pocket. He and Stella exchange excited looks before grabbing each other's hands and racing back down the stairs.

"Is that it? Is that them gone for good? Who were they?" Amy asked as she turned around, but the Doctor and Stella were already running out of the hospital into the garden where the Tardis is waiting for them.

"Okay, what have you got for me this time?" The Doctor said as he walked into the TARDIS. "Look at you. Oh, you sexy thing! Look at you."

"Gorgeous, absolutely beautiful." Stella praised following the Doctor inside the door closing behind them.

Amy and Rory run up just at it dematerializes, Amy's face falling.

-0-

Night time, the sound of the Tardis wakes Amy up. Amy grabs her bath robe pulling it over her night gown after shoving her feet into her slippers then rushed down stairs and out into the garden. She paused a few feet away from the Doctor was leaning against the TARDIS while Rhea who was sporting a brown leather vest with long fringe was leaning against him with his arms wrapped around her.

"Sorry about running off earlier. Brand new Tardis. Bit exciting. Just had a quick hop to the moon and back to run her in. She's ready for the big stuff now." The Doctor said with a smile.

"You came back." Amy said.

"Course we came back. We always come back." Stella said cocking her head to the side. "Something wrong with that?"

"And you kept the clothes." Amy commented looking over the Doctor's attire.

"Well, we just saved the world, the whole planet, for about the millionth time, no charge. Yeah, shoot us, we kept the clothes." The Doctor replied.

"Including the bow tie." Amy said as she walked up to them.

"Yeah, it's cool. Bow ties are cool." The Doctor said as he adjusted his bow tie.

"Are you from another planet?" Amy asked.

"Yeah." He replied.

"Are you?" Amy asked Stella.

"Nope, I was a human kidnapped by aliens and turned into a cyborg then my human DNA was changed into Time Lord DNA." Stella replied easily as she adjusted her sleeves.

"Okay." Amy said slowly as she took it all in. "I have no idea what any of that meant."

"Most don't." Stella shrugged, not even bothering on elaborating, too much trouble.

"So what do you think?" The Doctor asked.

"Of what?" Amy asked.

"Other planets. Want to check some out?" Stella asked.

"What does that mean?" Amy asked.

"It means. Well, it means come with us." The Doctor said.

"Where?" Amy asked.

"Wherever you like." Stella replied.

"All that stuff that happened. The hospital, the spaceships, Prisoner Zero." Amy said.

"Oh, don't worry, that's just the beginning. There's loads more." The Doctor said.

"Yeah, but those things, those amazing things, all that stuff." Amy said like she was in awe of it all, but then her face went flat. "That was two years ago."

"Oh.! Oops." The Doctor said.

"Our bad." Stella winced.

"Yeah." Amy said.

"So that's…" the Doctor trailed off.

"Fourteen years!" Amy said.

"Fourteen years since fish custard. Amy Pond, the girl who waited, you've waited long enough." The Doctor said with a smile.

"When I was a kid, you said there was a swimming pool and a library, and the swimming pool was in the library." Amy pointed out.

"Yeah. Not sure where it's got to now." Stella said thoughtfully.

"It'll turn up. So, coming?" The Doctor asked.

"No." Amy said.

"You wanted to come fourteen years ago." The Doctor said.

"I grew up." Amy said simply.

"Don't worry. We'll soon fix that." The Doctor said as he opens the Tardis door and follows Amy in along with Stella watching her reaction.

"Well? Anything you want to say? Any passing remarks? I've heard them all." The Doctor said.

"I'm in my nightie." Amy said.

"Oh, don't worry. Plenty of clothes in the wardrobe." Stella waved her off. "And possibly a swimming pool."

"So, all of time and space, everything that ever happened or ever will. Where do you want to start?" The Doctor asked as he stood next to the console.

"You are so sure that I'm coming." Amy said.

"Yeah, we are." The Doctor said.

"Why?" Amy asked.

"Cause you're the Scottish girl in the English village, and we know how that feels." The Doctor said.

"Oh, do you?" Amy asked.

"All these years living here, most of your life, and you've still got that accent." The Doctor commented.

"Yeah, you're coming." Stella nodded with a smile.

"Can you get me back for tomorrow morning?" Amy asked.

"It's a time machine. I can get you back five minutes ago." The Doctor bragged.

"Why, what's tomorrow?" Stella asked.

"Nothing. Nothing. Just you know, stuff." Amy said quickly.

"All right, then. Back in time for stuff." A sonic screwdriver rises from a slot in the console. "Oh! A new one! Lovely. Thanks, dear."

"Why me?" Amy asked. The Doctor uses an old typewriter wired into the console as Stella worked some of the knobs both of them stopping and looking at Amy.

"Why not?" The Doctor replied.

"No, seriously. You are asking me to run away with you in the middle of the night. It's a fair question. Why me?" Amy asked.

"I don't know. Fun. Do I have to have a reason?" The Doctor asked a little agitated.

"People always have a reason." Amy said.

"Do we look like people?" Stella asked.

"Yes." Amy answered.

"Been knocking around on our own for a while. Our choice, but I've started talking to myself all the time. It's giving Stella an earache." The Doctor replied.

"You're lonely, both of you." Amy said looking between them. Doctor gave her a brief smile as Stella nodded slightly before they started to work the console again. "That's it? Just that?"

"Just that. Promise." The Doctor said.

"Okay." Amy said.

"So, are you okay, then? Because this place, sometimes it can make people feel a bit, you know." The Doctor said gesturing vaguely.

"I'm fine. It's just, there's a whole world in here, just like you said. It's all true. I thought. Well, I started to think that maybe you were just like a madman and madwoman with a box." Amy said.

"Amy Pond, there's something you'd better understand about me, because it's important, and one day your life may depend on it." The Doctor said. "We are definitely a madman and a madwoman with a box. Ha ha! Yeah. Goodbye Leadworth…"

"…hello everything." Stella finished for him as they set the Tardis in flight as they cling to the console laughing.


	2. Chapter 2

Amy was floating in space, with the Doctor holding on to her ankle from the open door of the Tardis as Stella was standing next to him bouncing on her toes. This was one of her favorite things to do from time to time. Strap on a harness, tie it down, and then float for hours just enjoying being out amongst the stars. The first time she had down the Doctor had nearly had a hearts attack, but soon saw merit in the idea and would join her for what she referred to as a space waltz.

"Isn't it amazing?!" Stella called out as she placed her round wire rose colored glasses on top of her head.

"Come on, Pond." The Doctor said as he pulls Amy back inside the Tardis. "Now do you believe me?"

"Okay, your box is a spaceship. It's really, really a spaceship. We are in space!" Amy said. "What are we breathing?"

"I've extended the air shell. We're fine." Stella assured her as they hovered above a city in space.

"Now that's interesting. Twenty ninth century. Solar flares roast the earth, and the entire human race packs its bags and moves out till the weather improves." The Doctor runs back to the console and the doors closed. "Whole nations."

"Doctor?" Amy called out.

"Migrating to the stars." The Doctor continued not hearing her.

"Doctor?" Stella said as she looked out the doors.

"Isn't that amazing?" The Doctor said.

"Doctor!" Amy and Stella shouted together.

"You shut Amy outside." Stella said gesturing to the doors.

"Well, come on. I've found us a spaceship." The Doctor said as he opened the doors, not seeming panicked by the near loss of Amy. "This is the United Kingdom of Britain and Northern Ireland. All of it, bolted together and floating in the sky. Starship UK. It's Britain, but metal. That's not just a ship, that's an idea. That's a whole country, living and laughing and shopping."

"Searching the stars for a new home." Stella commented.

"Can we go out and see?" Amy asked.

"Course we can. But first, there's a thing." The Doctor said.

"A thing?" Amy questioned.

"An important thing. In fact, Thing One. We are observers only. That's the one rule I've always stuck to in all my travels. I never get involved in the affairs of other peoples or planets." The Doctor said as he fiddled with the monitor. An image of Mandy waiting by the lifts is on the scanner. "Ooo, that's interesting."

"So we're like a wildlife documentary, yeah? Because if they see a wounded little cub or something, they can't just save it, they've got to keep filming and let it die." Amy said as Stella watched the Doctor leave the TARDIS with an amused smile shaking her head. "It's got to be hard. I don't think I could do that. Don't you find that hard, being all, like, detached and cold?"

"Amy, he left." Stella said pointing to the scanner with an amused smile. Amy sees the Doctor on the scanner, speaking to the weeping Mandy.

"Doctor?" Amy said. "Does he always run of like that?"

"Yep, now come on." Stella said as the Doctor gestured for them to join him.

Stella grabbed Amy's hand pulling her out of the Tardis and into the bustling market street, Amy had her mouth opened wide in amazement as the speakers made announcements over the comms.

"Welcome to London Market. You are being monitored."

"I'm in the future. Like hundreds of years in the future." Amy said smiling.

"Yep, pretty cool huh." Stella said bouncing on her feet a little.

"I've been dead for centuries." Amy said as the Doctor walked up to them.

"Oh, lovely. You're a cheery one." The Doctor said with a look. "Never mind dead, look at this place. Isn't it wrong?"

"What's wrong?" Amy asked.

"Come on, use your eyes. Notice everything. What's wrong with this picture?" The Doctor asked as Helen looked around.

"Is it the bicycles? Bit unusual on a spaceship, bicycles." Amy pointed out.

"Says the girl in the nightie." The Doctor commented.

"Oh my God, I'm in my nightie." Amy gasped as she pulled her robe around her.

"Now, come on, look around you. Actually look." The Doctor said getting them back on subject.

"London Market is a crime-free zone."

"Life on a giant starship. Back to basics. Bicycles, washing lines, wind-up street lamps. But look closer. Secrets and shadows, lives led in fear. Society bent out of shape, on the brink of collapse. A police state. Excuse me." He takes a pint glass of water from a table.

"What are you doing?" The man asked as the Doctor put it on the floor. He looks at it for a moment then returns it to the table.

"Sorry. Checking all the water in this area. There's an escaped fish." The Doctor said then turned back to Stella and Amy. "Where was I?"

"You said something was wrong." Stella replied as he walked back over to her taking her hand in his.

"Why did you just do that with the water?" Amy asked.

"Don't know. I think a lot. It's hard to keep track." The Doctor said swinging Stella's hand back and forth slightly. "Now, police state. Do you see it yet?"

"Where?" Amy asked.

"There." The Doctor said, pointing to the weeping Mandy, all alone.

"One little girl crying. So?" Amy asked.

"But she's crying silently." Stella pointed out. "Children cry because they want attention, because they're hurt or afraid. But when they cry silently, it's because they just can't stop."

"Correct Stella my love." The Doctor said patting her on top of the head. Stella shot him a look pushing his hand away, he was always doing that just to annoy her. "Any parent knows that."

"Are two parents?" Amy asked.

"Hundreds of parents walking past who spot her and not one of them is asking her what's wrong, which means they already know, and it's something they don't talk about." The Doctor said ignoring her question and taking Stella's hand in his, knowing the subject of children was a touchy one with her. "Secrets. They're not helping her, so it's something they're afraid of. Shadows, whatever they're afraid of, it's nowhere to be seen, which means it's everywhere. Police state."

"Where'd she go?" Amy asked looking around for the now missing girl.

"Deck two oh seven. Apple Sesame block, dwelling 54A. You're looking for Mandy Tanner. Oh, er, this fell out of her pocket when I accidentally bumped into her." The Doctor said holding out a small billfold. "Took me four goes."

"Ask her about those things." Stella said. "The smiling fellows in the booths, they're everywhere."

"But they're just things." Amy said as she took the wallet.

"They're clean. Everything else here is all battered and filthy. Look at this place. But no one's laid a finger on those booths. Not a footprint within two feet of them." The Doctor pointed out. "Look. Ask Mandy, why are people scared of the things in the booths?"

"No, hang on. What do I do? I don't know what I'm doing here and I'm not even dressed." Amy said.

"It's this or Leadworth. What do you think? Let's see. What will Amy Pond choose?" The Doctor said contemplatively then his face broke out in a grin. "Ha ha, gotcha. Meet us back here in half an hour."

"What are you going to do?" Amy asked.

"What we always do. Stay out of trouble." He said with a smile. Amy shot him a look of disbelief. "Badly."

"So is this how it works, Doctor? Stella? You never interfere in the affairs of other peoples or planets, unless there's children crying?" Amy called out after them.

"Yes." The Doctor and Stella replied as they ran off making their way down vast corridors in search of the problem they both knew was there.

"Right." The Doctor said coming to a ladder. "I'll go first."

"You just want to watch me climb down." Stella teased.

"I know." The Doctor replied cheekily before pecking her on the lips before climbing down the ladder followed by Stella until they reached the end, the Doctor wrapped his arms around her waist and lifting her off the last rung spinning her around before setting her on the ground pressing a kiss to the side of her neck.

"Did you enjoy the show?" Stella giggled.

"Very much." The Doctor said into her ear making her hum.

"We should get to work you know." Stella shot him a look over her shoulder.

"If we must." The Doctor gave her one last kiss before they separated to start their search, feeling the walls.

"This is really strange." Stella said running her hand over the walls then pressed her ear against it just to make sure.

"Can't be." The Doctor said as he scanned the wall with his screwdriver.

"But it is." Stella mumbled then noticed the glass of water on the floor. "Doctor."

Stella motioned to the glass of water kneeling down next to it while the Doctor lay down on his stomach starring at it.

"The impossible truth in a glass of water. Not many people see it. But you do, don't you, Doctor? Stella?" A woman in a mask and hooded cloak asked as she walked up to him

"You know us?" The Doctor asked standing up with Stella, the Doctor making sure to stand between the woman and Stella.

"Keep your voice down." She ordered them. "They're everywhere. Tell me what you see in the glass."

"Who says we see anything?" The Doctor questioned.

"Don't waste time. At the marketplace, you placed a glass of water on the floor, looked at it, then came straight here to the engine room. Why?" She demanded. The Doctor and Stella looked at each other before answering.

"No engine vibration on deck. Ship this size, engine this big, you'd feel it. The water would move." Stella answered.

"So, we thought we'd take a look. It doesn't make sense. These power couplings, they're not connected." The Doctor pointed out as he opened the metal boxes along the wall showing the un-connected links.

"Look. Look, they're dummies, see? And behind this wall, nothing. It's hollow." Stella said knocking on the walls gaining a hallow sound.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say there was…" The Doctor started.

"No engine at all." They all finished together.

"But it's working. This ship is travelling through space. We saw it." The Doctor said.

"The impossible truth. We're travelling among the stars in a spaceship that could never fly." She said, her eyes flitting between the time travelers.

"How?" The Doctor asked.

"I don't know. There's a darkness at the heart of this nation. It threatens every one of us. Help us, Doctor, Stella. You're our only hope." She said desperately.

"Apparently Star Wars is still popular in this timer period." Stella commented.

"Always loved a good classic." The woman said grinned as she took out a tracking device handing it to the Doctor. "Your friend is safe. This will take you to her. Now go, quickly!"

"Who are you? How do we find you again?" The Doctor asked as she began to walk away.

"I am Liz Ten, and I will find you." Liz replied before the lights flickered and a sound like thunder erupted around them, Liz disappearing from sight. Stella and the Doctor looked down at the device before following the devices directions until they found Mandy standing outside of a booth.

-0-

"This isn't a trick. This is for real. You've got to find the Doctor and get him back to the Tardis. Don't let him investigate. Stop him. Do whatever you have to, just please, please get the Doctor off this ship!" The Amy on the screen said as the door opens. Mandy is waiting outside, then the Doctor bounced in followed by Stella. "Listen to me. This isn't a trick. This is for real.

"Amy?" The Doctor said looking form the screen to her.

"You've got to find the Doctor." Amy turned off the message.

"What have you done? Are you ok?" Stella asked checking Amy over for any injuries, as the Doctor scanned a device in the ceiling. "Hold still."

"What are you doing?" Amy asked.

"Scanning." Stella placed her fingers on either side of Amy's head, but not touching as they glowed and Stella stared into Amy's eyes.

"Scanning for what?" Amy leaned back.

"Yeah, your basic memory wipe job." Stella announced pulling back with a frown.

"Must have erased about twenty minutes." The Doctor said looking over to them.

"But why would I choose to forget?" Amy asked in confusion.

"Because everyone does. Everyone chooses the Forget button." Mandy said looking between the three of them.

"Did you?" The Doctor asked her.

"I'm not eligible to vote yet. I'm twelve." Mandy explained. "Any time after you're sixteen, you're allowed to the see the film and make your choice. And then once every five years."

"And once every five years, everyone chooses to forget what they've learned." The Doctor said bitterly.

"Democracy in action." Stella said with a sigh.

"How do you not know about this? Are you Scottish too?" Mandy asked.

"Oh, I'm way worse than Scottish. I can't even see the movie. Won't play for me." The Doctor said.

"Nor me, it seems cyborgs are not eligible to vote." Stella commented. "Racists."

"It played for me." Amy pointed out.

"The difference being the computer doesn't accept me as human or Stella." The Doctor said.

"Why not? You look human." Amy commented looking to the Doctor.

"No, you look Time Lord. We came first." The Doctor corrected her.

"So there are other Time Lords, yeah?" Amy asked.

"No. There were, but there aren't. Just me now, species wise, I do have my Stella. But it's a long story. There was a bad day. Bad stuff happened. And you know what? I'd love to forget it all, every last bit of it, but I don't. Not ever. Because this is what I do with Stella, every time, every day, every second. This." The Doctor rambled on as Stella took hold of his hand. "Hold tight. We're bringing down the government." The Doctor hits the Protest button. The door slams shut, trapping him Stella and Amy inside. The Smiler becomes a Scowler and the floor opens up to reveal the long drop. "Say wheee!"

"Wheee!" Stella called out.

"Argh!" Amy screamed. Outside, the cubicle sign changed from Occupied to Empty as the Doctor dropped down a chute into what appears to be organic waste. Amy and Stella followed a few moments later, Amy with a scream and Stella with a laugh.

"Argh! High speed air cannon. Lousy way to travel." The Doctor said shaking his head.

"I thought it was great fun." Stella stood up shaking the goo from herself. "Could have gone for a better landing though."

"Where are we?" Amy asked.

"Six hundred feet down, twenty miles laterally, puts us at the heart of the ship. I'd say Lancashire. What's this then, a cave? Can't be a cave. Looks like a cave." The Doctor said as he looked around like an excited kid.

"Oh, we're in…" Stella started having recognized some of the biological aspects of their surroundings, but Amy interrupted her.

"It's a rubbish dump, and it's minging!" Amy said, flinging some refuge from her hands.

"Yes, but only food refuse. Organic, coming through feeder tubes from all over the ship." The Doctor said.

"The floor's all squidgy, like a water bed." Amy said hopping up and down.

"It's not a floor, it's a…" Stella tried again, but the Doctor cut her off.

"But feeding what, though?" The Doctor asked.

"It's sort of rubbery, feel it. Wet and slimy." Amy commented as a distinct animal noise sounded from the back.

"It's not a floor." Stella said loudly looking at the Doctor and his face lit up in realization.

"We're in a…" He trailed off looking to Stella for confirmation.

"Yep." Stella nodded.

"You mean it's…" The Doctor stuttered a bit.

"Yes, it is." Stella confirmed.

"How did you figure it out so fast?" The Doctor asked and Stella shrugged.

"I've had my encounters." Stella replied.

"It's a what?" Amy called out loudly gaining their attention as she looked between them.

"The next word is kind of a scary word. You probably want to take a moment, get yourself in a calm place. Go omm." The Doctor said.

"Omm." Amy chanted.

"It's a tongue." The Doctor said.

"A tongue?" Amy asked.

"A tongue." Stella said.

"A great big tongue." The Doctor added.

"This is a mouth. This whole place is a mouth? We're in a mouth?" Amy said starting to panic.

"Yes, yes, yes. But on the plus side, roomy." The Doctor said with a smile.

"How do we get out?" Amy asked.

"I have no idea." Stella said as the Doctor looked around in excitement.

"How big is this beastie? It's gorgeous. Blimey, if this is just the mouth, I'd love to see the stomach." The Doctor said as he looked down the throat just in time for the animal to let out a loud growl. "Though not right now."

"Doctor, how do we get out?" Amy asked starting to panic.

"Okay, it's being fed through surgically implanted feeder tubes, so the normal entrance is closed for business." The Doctor said as he eyed a wall of lovely big teeth.

"We could try, though." Amy said as she moved forward.

"No, stop, don't move." Stella said as she grabbed Amy holding her still. The 'floor' vibrates.

"Too late. It's started." The Doctor said.

"What has?" Amy asked as they struggled to keep up right.

"Swallow reflex." The Doctor answered as he took out his sonic screwdriver and pointed it up.

"What are you doing?" Amy asked.

"I'm vibrating the chemo-receptors." The Doctor said making Helen groan.

"Chemo-what?" Amy asked as Stella gripped her hand in hers.

"The eject button." The Doctor replied.

"How does a mouth have an eject button?" Amy asked

"Think about it!" Stella said rolling her eyes as the Doctor grabbed her hand. A wave of vomit approaches.

"Right, then. This isn't going to be big on dignity." The Doctor said as they clung to each other. "Geronimo!"

They were surrounded by the regurgitation juices of the unknown beat in a matter of moments then the next thing they knew the found themselves in a strange room covered in muck having been washed down a storm drain like tube.

"Well that was fan-freaking-tastic." Stella said as she stood up and shook the vomit from herself as best she could.

"There's nothing broken, there's no sign of concussion and yes, you are covered in sick." The Doctor said standing up as well.

"Where are we?" Amy asked looking around the small room.

"Overspill pipe, at a guess." The Doctor said.

"Oh, God, it stinks." Amy said scrunching up her nose.

"Oh, that's not the pipe." The Doctor said.

"Oh. Phew." Stella said as she waved her hand in front of her face. "Can we get out now?"

"One door, one door switch, one condition. We forget everything we saw. Look familiar?" The Doctor said looking down at the Forget button that lit up.

"That's what was in the booth." Stella said looking at it.

"That's the carrot. Ooo, here's the stick." The Doctor said gaining their attention. Two Smiler booths light up at the other end of the tube. "There's a creature living in the heart of this ship. What's it doing there?" The Smilers become Frowners as the Doctor approached followed by the girls. "No, that's not going to work on me, so come on. Big old beast below decks, and everyone who protests gets shoved down its throat. That how it works?" Frowners become Scowlers. "Oh, stop it. I'm not leaving and I'm not forgetting, and what are you fellows going to do about it? Stick out your tongues, huh?"

The booths open and the Smilers step out and advance.

"Doctor?" Amy said as they came toward them.

"Back off." Stella said as she round house kicked one of the smilers in the face making its head spin out of control and fell to the ground.

"Nice shot love." The Doctor commented.

"Thanks." Stella winked getting ready to attack the other smiler, but Liz stepped up from behind them from the door that was next to the forget button and easily shot the last Smiler.

"Look who it is. You look a lot better without your mask." The Doctor commented as Liz twirled her gun before holstering it.

"You must be Amy. Liz. Liz Ten." Liz introduced herself with a smile.

"Hi." Amy said.

"Hello, nice moves." Stella complimented Liz, clapping her on the back.

"Yuck. You to, nice kick. Lovely hair, Amy. Shame about the sick. You know Mandy, yeah? She's very brave." Liz said gesturing to Mandy who was beside her, wrapping her arm around the young girl.

"How did you find us?" The Doctor asked.

"Stuck my gizmo on you." Liz tossed him another tracking device. "Been listening in. Nice moves on the hurl escape." Liz commented then turned to where they had come from. "So, what's the big fella doing here?"

"You're over sixteen, you've voted. Whatever this is, you've chosen to forget about it." The Doctor said as he pocketed the device.

"No. Never forgot, never voted, not technically a British subject." Liz replied offhandedly.

"Then who and what are you, and how do you know us?" Stella asked crossing her arms making a squishing noise causing her to grimace.

"You're a bit hard to miss, loves. Mysterious strangers, M O consistent with higher alien intelligence, hair of an idiot…" The Doctor pointed at her like he wanted to say something, but decided against it running his hand through his hair. Liz then looked to Stella as she went on talking. "…classic hippie fashion senses and the tendency to spontaneously start singing or dancing, most of the times both."

"You make me sound like a Disney character." Stella said with a wince.

"I've been brought up on the stories. My whole family was." Liz went on.

"Your family?" Stella questioned.

"They're repairing. Doesn't take them long. Let's move." Liz said looking down at the struggling smilers before leading them out of the smiler room and down the rounded hall ways. "The Doctor. Old drinking buddy of Henry Twelve. Stella had tea and scones with Liz Two. Vicky was a bit on the fence about you Doctor, weren't she? Knighted and exiled you on the same day. And so much for the Virgin Queen."

"That was Jack's fault, not ours." Stella defended quickly.

"That bad, bad boy." Liz mused with a wistful smile.

"Who's Jack?" Amy asked. The Doctor looked wide eyed to Amy who looked back at him with a raised eyebrow.

"No!" The Doctor said quickly. "Jack and Amy meeting, the universe would implode, bad, very bad idea."

"Maybe later." Stella said with a shrug.

"Is he cute?" Amy asked and Stella took out her phone showing her a pic, Amy's eyes going wide at the sight of the notorious Captain. "Oh wow...I want to meet him."

"No." The Doctor shook his head.

"Why not?" Stella whined with a pout.

"Stella…" The Doctor started then came to a sudden realization. "Wait! Liz Ten."

"Liz Ten, yeah. Elizabeth the Tenth. And down!" She turns, they duck, and she shot the Smilers again. She grinned as she looked down to where the others had hit the floor. "I'm the bloody Queen, mate. Basically, I rule."

-0-

The Doctor and Stella ran ahead of the others looking to the grating on the wall bathed in a fiery light. There was a mechanical pounding sound coming from it drawing their attention as the others came up behind them. The Doctor stuck his head through the bars looking up the shaft, Stella doing the same, but looking down.

"There's a high-speed Vator through there. Oh, yeah. There's these things." Liz said pointing to some tentacles beating at the grating. "Any ideas?"

"Doctor, Stella, I saw one of these up top." Amy said looking at the tentacles. "There was a hole in the road, like it had burst through like a root."

"Exactly like a root. It's all one creature, the same one we were inside, reaching out." Stella said thoughtfully.

"It must be growing through the mechanisms of the entire ship." The Doctor said.

"What, like an infestation?" Liz looked to them and the Doctor nodded. "Someone's helping it. Feeding it. Feeding my subjects to it." Liz said in anger as she swept down the hall with Mandy not far behind her. "Come on. Got to keep moving."

"Doctor?" Amy said noticing Stella and the Doctor's worried looks as they starred through the grating, their hands gripping each other tightly.

"Oh Amy, we should never have come here." The Doctor said as he wrapped his arm around Stella steering her down the hall as she leaned into him for support following Liz.

'Don't let him investigate. Stop him. Do whatever you have to, just please, please get the Doctor off this ship.' Amy held back looking thoughtful before quickly following after the others with those words ringing in her head.

-0-

Liz led them to her rooms on the ship where glasses of water were on every surface of the room including the floor. Stella sat on a couch at the end of the bed while she put her hair back into a French braid after cleaning it as well as the rest of herself off in Liz's bathroom sink.

"Why all the glasses?" The Doctor asked as he picked his way through the glasses.

"To remind me every single day that my government is up to something, and it's my duty to find out what." Liz replied from where she laid wrapped up in her cloak on her bed as Amy came out of the bathroom pinning her hair up out of her face.

"A queen going undercover to investigate her own kingdom?" Stella questioned standing to her feet.

"Secrets are being kept from me. I don't have a choice. Ten years I've been at this. My entire reign. And you've achieved more in one afternoon." Liz said as Stella picked up Liz's mask looking it over.

"How old were you when you came to the throne?" The Doctor asked walking over to Stella and looking at the mask as well.

"Forty. Why?" Liz asked.

"What, you're fifty now? No way." Amy said as she plopped down on the couch at the end of the bed.

"Yeah, they slowed my body clock. Keeps me looking like the stamps." Liz smirked.

"And you always wear this in public?" The Doctor asked taking the mask from Stella.

"Undercover's not easy when you're me. The autographs, the bunting." Liz listed off.

"Air-balanced porcelain. Stays on by itself, because it's perfectly sculpted to your face." The Doctor said with a troubled look as he sat on the edge of the bed in front of Liz, Stella standing behind him.

"Yeah? So what?" Liz looked between them.

"Oh, Liz. So everything." Stella sighed as a division of Winders entered.

"What are you doing? How dare you come in here?" Liz demanded as the Doctor stood up and he and Stella moved in front of the winders.

"Ma'am, you have expressed interest in the interior workings of Starship UK. You will come with us now." One of the winders said.

"Why would I do that?" Liz asked as she walked up to them. The winders head turned to become a Scowler.

"How can they be Smilers?" Amy asked fearfully.

"Half Smiler." The Doctor said.

"Half human." Stella said.

"Whatever you creatures are, I am still your queen. On whose authority is this done?" Liz ground out.

"The highest authority, Ma'am." The scowler replied.

"I am the highest authority." Liz said.

"Yes, ma'am. You must go now, Ma'am." The scowler said.

"Where?" Liz asked.

"The Tower, Ma'am." The scowler replied and a flash of fear shot across Liz's face.

-0-

They were escorted down through the ship by the scowlers, so very far down then into a massive room where in the center there was an opening. Every so often an electrical burst would fire down from some electrodes into the hole which was an opening to a brain. Amy looked through a grating in the ground next to the door they had come through, where tentacles were flailing.

"Doctor, Stella, where are we?" Amy asked them.

"The lowest point of Starship UK." The Doctor said walking around the room.

"A.K.A. the dungeon." Stella said walking over to where the brain was exposed.

"Ma'am." An older man walked up to them.

"Hawthorne. So this is where you hid yourself away." Liz said eyeing the elderly Hawthorne. "I think you've got some explaining to do."

"There's children down here." The Doctor said as a group of children walked by, the Doctor ruffling the top of one of the children's heads. "What's all that about?"

"Protesters and citizens of limited value are fed to the beast. For some reason, it won't eat the children. You're the first adults it's spared. You're very lucky." Hawthorne replied as Liz walked over to stand next to Stella.

"Yeah, look at us. Torture chamber of the Tower of London. Lucky, lucky, lucky." The Doctor said sarcastically as he walked over to Stella who was shaking hard, her face as pale as snow. "Except it's not a torture chamber, is it? Well, except it is. Except it isn't. Depends on your angle."

"What's that?" Liz asked as she looked down at the top of the pulsating brain, visible in the middle of the room, with giant electrodes pointing down at it sending down their painful charge.

"Well, like the Doctor said, it depends on the angle." Stella said in a strained hoarse voice with touches of anger. "It's either the exposed pain center of big fella's brain, being tortured relentlessly."

"Or?" Liz asked and flinched as Stella looked up at her sharply, her eyes blazing.

"Or it's the gas pedal, the accelerator. Starship UK's go faster button." Stella hissed out, her hands which were gripped around the opening's walls leaving dents in it. The Doctor wrapped his arm around her, holding her close.

"I don't understand." Liz said shook her head.

"Don't you? Try to. Go on. The spaceship that could never fly. No vibration on deck." The Doctor started to rant, his anger building. "This creature, this poor, trapped, terrified creature. It's not infesting you, it's not invading, it's what you have instead of an engine."

"And this place down here is where you hurt it, where you torture it, day after day, just to keep it moving." Stella ground out empathetically, almost feeling the knife cutting into her flesh once again.

"Tell you what. Normally, it's above the range of human hearing." The Doctor and Stella went over to a grate that Stella picked up tossing aside allowing a tentacle to come up. "This is the sound none of you wanted to hear."

The Doctor soniced a tentacle and a horrible screaming sound causing everyone to physically start as the heart wrenching sound. Everyone in the room wore stricken looks of horror, covering their ears to try and drown out the horrible sound.

"Stop it." Liz said on the verge of tears and the Doctor cut it off with a dark bitter look. "Who did this?"

"We act on instructions from the highest authority." Hawthorne replied.

"I am the highest authority. The creature will be released, now." No one moved despite Liz's demands. "I said now! Is anyone listening to me?"

"Liz." Stella gained her attention. "Your mask."

"What about my mask?" Liz asked.

"Look at it. It's old." The Doctor said tossing her the mask. "At least two hundred years old, I'd say."

"Yeah? It's an antique. So?" Liz said, oblivious.

"Yeah, an antique made by craftsmen over two hundred years ago and perfectly sculpted to your face." The Doctor told her. "They slowed your body clock, all right, but you're not fifty. Nearer three hundred. And it's been a long old reign."

"Nah, it's ten years. I've been on this throne ten years." Liz said, becoming panicked at the thought.

"Ten years. And the same ten years, over and over again, always leading you here." The Doctor led her over to the two buttons - Forget and Abdicate that sat before a TV.

"What have you done?" Liz turned on Hawthorne.

"Only what you have ordered. We work for you, Ma'am. The Winders, the Smilers, all of us." Hawthorne told her and turned on a video, the image of Liz appearing on the screen.

'If you are watching this. If I am watching this, then I have found my way to the Tower Of London. The creature you are looking at is called a Star Whale." The image changed to that of a star whale, a beautiful creature. "Once, there were millions of them. They lived in the depths of space and, according to legend, guided the early space travelers through the asteroid belts. This one, as far as we are aware, is the last of its kind. And what we have done to it breaks my heart. The Earth was burning. Our sun had turned on us and every other nation had fled to the skies. Our children screamed as the skies grew hotter." The Doctor wrapped his arms around Stella who buried her face in his chest clinging to his jacket, her eyes closed tight. "And then it came, like a miracle. The last of the Star Whales. We trapped it, we built our ship around it, and we rode on its back to safety. If you wish our voyage to continue, then you must press the Forget button. Be again the heart of this nation, untainted. If not, press the other button. Your reign will end, the Star Whale will be released, and our ship will disintegrate. I hope I keep the strength to make the right decision.'

"I voted for this. Why would I do that?" Amy questioned brokenly.

"Because you knew if we stayed here, Stella and I would be faced with an impossible choice. Humanity or the alien. You took it upon yourself to save me from that. And that was wrong. You don't ever decide what we need to know." The Doctor snapped as Stella turned round to look at Amy, her lips drawn into a hard frown.

"I don't even remember doing it." Amy tried weakly, her eyes wide and begging for them t understand.

"You did it. That's what counts." Stella shook her head angrily.

"I'm, I'm sorry." Amy said in a strained voice, tears in her eyes.

"Oh, I don't care. When we're done here, you're going home." The Doctor said as he went over to the controls, Stella reluctantly following him wiping tears from her eyes.

"Why? Because I made a mistake? One mistake? I don't even remember doing it." Amy argued desperately as she followed them. "Doctor! Stella!"

"Yeah, I know. You're only human." The Doctor said with a dark look as he worked the controls, then he saw Stella reach out and start to help him. "Stella, you don't have to…"

"I won't let you do this alone and don't you dare try to stop me." Stella said in a stern voice taking his hand in hers and he gripped it tight. "We are doing this together."

"What are you doing?" Liz asked walking over to them.

"The worst thing I…" The Doctor started, but Stella shot him a look. "We'll ever do. We're going to pass a massive electrical charge through the Star Whale's brain."

"Should knock out all its higher functions, leave it a vegetable. The ship will still fly, but the whale won't feel it." Stella explained to them as they worked.

"That'll be like killing it." Amy said in horror.

"Look, three options. One, I let the Star Whale continue in unendurable agony for hundreds more years. Two, I kill everyone on this ship. Three, I murder a beautiful, innocent creature as painlessly as I can. And then I find a new name, because I won't be the Doctor anymore." The Doctor replied in agitation, Stella wanting more than anything to be able to say something, to find the right words, but in situations like these there were none, it was in times like these that she felt truly helpless and lost.

"There must be something we can do, some other way." Liz said.

"Nobody talk to me. Nobody human has anything to say to me today!" The Doctor exploded, his rage pouring out like a tidal wave.

"None of you have any idea, none at all of what it's like to be mutilated, tortured, and used for the advancement of someone else." Stella placed a hand to the line that ran along her jaw line, the Doctor gently took her into his arms knowing that her pain, the nightmares she still had to this day of the years she spent under the knife of the Lacerta. "To know only pain every waking moment of your life…but you don't care, no one ever cares."

"Stella…" Amy tried.

"Please Amy, just…just go." Stella said in a strained voice and slowly Amy did so backing away from them, her eyes wide and sad as she watched them work to destroy the mind of the Star Whale.

-0-

Amy and Mandy sat against one of the large brick walls on the ground and watched while the Doctor and Stella adjusted the machinery. Amy only looked away when the door opened allowing the children to come in carrying carious tools.

"Timmy! You made it, you're okay. It's me, Mandy." Mandy ran up to a curly red head, but he showed no signs of recognizing her. Amy nearly called out when she saw a tentacle flailing behind Mandy like it was about to attack, but then it gently tapped her on the shoulder. Amy watched in amazement as the two children reached up stroking the tentacle which seemed to enjoy the attention it was receiving.

'Come on, use your eyes. Notice everything. Notice everything.'

'Our children screamed. It came, like a miracle.'

'It won't eat the children.'

'The children screamed, then it came. It's the last of its kind.'

'Just me now.'

'The last of its kind.'

'Is this how it works, Doctor, Stella? You never interfere with other peoples or planets.'

'Children screamed.'

'Unless it's children crying.'

'The last of its kind.'

'Just me now.'

'Unless there's children crying.'

'Yes.'

'It won't eat the children.'

'Then it came, like a miracle. The last of the Star Whales.'

"Doctor, Stella stop. Whatever you're doing, stop it now!" Amy called out shooting to her feet as she ran over to Liz dragging her over to the voting buttons. "Sorry, your Majesty. Going to need a hand."

"Amy, no! No!" The Doctor called out as he and Stella raced for her, but were too late. Amy pushed Liz's hand down on the Abdicate button. The Whale roared and the Starship UK shook briefly, causing panic as what felt like an earthquake erupted around them all.

"Amy, what have you done?" Stella breathed out as they all stood up from where they had fallen.

"Nothing at all. Am I right?" Amy looked to Hawthorne.

"We've increased speed." Hawthorne said in a surprised voice.

"Yeah, well, you've stopped torturing the pilot. Got to help." Amy smiled happily as the Doctor and Stella looked at her in shock.

"It's still here. I don't understand." Liz looked down to the brain of the Star Whale.

"The Star Whale didn't come like a miracle all those years ago. It volunteered. You didn't have to trap it or torture it. That was all just you. It came because it couldn't stand to watch your children cry." Amy said then turned round looking to the Doctor and Stella. "What if you were really old, and really kind and alone? Your whole race dead." Amy looked from the Doctor to Stella. "Everything taken from you. No future. What couldn't you do then? If you were that old, and that kind, and the very last of your kind, and so alone, you couldn't just stand there and watch children cry."

-0-

The Doctor and Stella stood hand in hand before a large bank of windows overlooking the city and the vastness of space behind it. It was a beautiful sight to be sure, but the time travelers had other things on their minds.

"She didn't mean it." Stella said softly. "She was just looking after us."

"I know." The Doctor sighed as he rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb.

"From Her Majesty." Amy said as she ran up to them holding Liz's mask in her hand. "She says there will be no more secrets on Starship UK."

"Amy, you could have killed everyone on this ship." The Doctor said stiffly.

"You could have killed a Star Whale." Amy countered.

"And you saved it. We know…we know." Stella said softly as they lapsed into a moment of silence.

"Amazing though, don't you think? The Star Whale. All that pain and misery and loneliness, and it just made it kind." Amy said looking to them.

"But you couldn't have known how it would react." The Doctor said turning to her.

"You couldn't. But I've seen it before. Very old and very kind…" Amy said looking from Stella then focusing on the Doctor. "…and the very, very last. Sound a bit familiar?"

The Doctor and Stella smiled slightly before the three of the hugged each other tightly.

"Hey." Amy said.

"What?" Stella asked.

"Gotcha." Amy grinned.

"Huh. Gotcha." The Doctor chuckled as they all tightened their hold on each other.

-0-

"Shouldn't we say goodbye? Won't they wonder where we went?" Amy asked as they walked back through the market place toward the Tardis.

"For the rest of their lives. Oh, the songs they'll write." The Doctor said with a grin.

"In bed above, we're deep asleep, while greater love lies further deep. This dream must end, this world must know, we all depend on the beast below." Stella sang out in a lilting voice, not caring about the looks she was getting from some passerby's, but a few picked the song up, liking the tune and singing it under their breath as they went along.

"Beautiful love." The Doctor grinned kissing her on top of her head as they stopped in front of the Tardis. "Now in we get, big day tomorrow."

"Sorry, what?" Amy asked, looking startled.

"Well, it's always a big day tomorrow. We've got a time machine. We skip the little ones." The Doctor replied as he stuck his key in.

"You know what I said about getting back for tomorrow morning?" Amy said causing the Doctor and Stella to turn to her with saddened faces, thinking she might want to go home. "Have you ever run away from something because you were scared, or not ready, or just, just because you could?"

"Once, a long time ago." The Doctor replied as Stella nodded.

"What happened?" Amy asked.

"Hello." Stella gestured to the two of them.

"Right. Doctor, there's something I haven't told you…" Amy started, but then stopped when she heard a ringing coming from inside the Tardis. "No, hang on. Is that a phone ringing?" The Doctor opened the door letting them all in. "People phone you?"

"Well, it's a phone box." The Doctor replied as he and Stella wen to the controls starting up the Tardis.

"Would you mind?" Stella gestured to the phone and Amy answered the trim phone on the console.

"Hello? Sorry, who? No, seriously, who? Says he's the Prime Minister. First the Queen, now the Prime Minister. Get about, don't you?" Amy looked to the two of them.

"Which Prime Minister?" The Doctor asked.

"Er, which Prime Minister?" Amy asked. "The British one."

"Which British one?" Stella asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Which British one?" Amy's face went into shock then held out the phone to. "Winston Churchill for you."

"Oh! Hello, dear. What's up?" The Doctor took the phone happily.

"Tricky situation, Doctor. Potentially very dangerous. I think I'm going to need you." Churchill replied.

"Don't worry about a thing, Prime Minister." The Doctor grinned. "We're on our way.

They sent the Tardis off, running around the console as they flew through the vortex.

"Now first things first." Stella said as she grabbed Amy's hand puling her down the hall.

"Where are you two going?" The Doctor called out after them, peering around the console.

"To the wardrobe, Amy can't meet Winny dressed like this, you better change to, those clothes are still covered in yuck." Stella replied over her shoulder.

"Right, good idea…wait, Winny?!" The Doctor called out, but Stella and Amy had already disappeared down the hall.

"Here it is." Stella said stopping outside a door waiting for Amy to catch up then she flung the door open revealing the great expanse of clothes. "I give you the Wardrobe."

"Oh my…" Amy said, her eyes wide as she stepped into the massive room looking at all of the clothes from every time period, every planet, and every fashion.

"Yeah." Stella grinned as she went over to the bohemian earth section. "Just look around until you find something you like and if you have something in mind just think about it, the Tardis will get it to you."

"Right." Amy nodded walking through the clothes in a daze. Stella smiled shaking her head as she watched Amy go then turned back to the clothes she was going through picking out a loose white spaghetti strapped tank top that ended in fringe, a pair of jean shorts edged in lace, a knee length spring green kimono with a pink and white floral pattern, and a pair of ankle length gladiator sandals. Amy had walk back over to her trying to discreetly look over Stella's cyborg markings while going through a selection of shirts.

"I was kidnapped." Stella said, knowing that Amy was curious. "They wanted an army and made me as a start."

"I'm sorry." Amy said, with a blush at having been caught starring.

"Sometimes I am as well, but most of the times I'm happy it happened or I never would have met the Doctor and fallen in love, kind of bitter sweet." Stella smiled softly at the engagement ring on her left hand. The dark blue band shimmered in the light as the round shaped jewel embedded into it with a body color of pink that had flashes of orange fucia with opal like over flashes of blue and lavender.

"You're married?" Amy asked as she looked over the beautiful ring.

"Engaged." Stella corrected her.

"Well congratulations, when's the wedding?" Amy asked as she rubbed her own left ring finger with her thumb.

"I have no idea." Stella replied with a grin as Amy just stared at her.

"Really?" Amy asked and Stella nodded.

"Soon I hope, but with our lives you get so caught up and somethings get put off without you even realizing it." Stella shrugged. "What about you?"

"What?!" Amy looked nervous again.

"Any special man in your life?" Stella asked.

"Oh…well…you know…is there a place to shower off?" Amy changed the subject and Stella eyed her for a moment before letting it pass. The subject of relationships was a touchy one and she didn't want Amy to be uncomfortable.

"Straight through there." Stella pointed to a door while she herself went into another, both of them carrying their clothes. After getting cleaned up, made up, and dressed they met back in the wardrobe. Stella had left her hair down save for the white flower headband she wore and her glasses were perched on her nose. "Now we better get back to the Doctor, I love him to bits, but leaving him on his own for too long does not always have a favorable outcome."

"But he's a time lord, he should be able to take care of himself." Amy said as they walked out.

"That's just what they're called, same as being called human, doesn't really mean anything." Stella said with a shrug as they walked into the console. "One time when I left him alone he made a device that ended up causing chickens to explode."

"That was not completely my fault." The Doctor said and Stella raised an eyebrow at him. "Anyway, moving on, etc…we're about to land, you two ready?"


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Sorry it took so long, I've had a wild January and February is not looking so hot either. Please review to boost up my morale. :D**

 **-0-**

The Tardis materialized in a dim basement filing room the Doctor opening the Tardis doors to stare down the barrels of three Lee Enfield rifles, made in Britain, which moved aside to reveal the PM.

"Amy? Winston Churchill." The Doctor introduced Amy as she stepped out followed by Stella.

"Doctor. Is it you?" Churchill looked the Doctor over, wide eyed.

"Oh, Winston, my old friend." The Doctor went in for a handshake, but Churchill held out his hand and beckoned. "Ah, every time."

"What's he after?" Amy asked.

"Tardis key, of course." The Doctor replied as Stella shut the Tardis door behind them.

"Think of what I could achieve with your remarkable machine, Doctor." Winston pleaded. "The lives that could be saved."

"Ah, doesn't work like that." The Doctor replied shaking his head.

"Must I take it by force?" Winston questioned, his men standing ready, their guns still pointed threateningly at the time travelers.

"I'd like to see you try Winny." Stella stepped forward hands on hips, her cyborg lines remaining visible much to the Doctor and Amy's surprise.

"Stella, you lines." The Doctor said in a slightly panicked sotto voice as he held open his jacket standing in front of her shielding her from the others view.

"It's ok Doctor." Stella winked as she pulled him to the side. "Isn't that right Winny?"

"Only one person calls me Winny and those lines…Stella?" Winston questioned and Stella nodded with a toothy grin.

"The one and only." Stella flung out her arms.

"You look different." Winston commented with a chuckle.

"Yeah, long story." Stella said as they hugged then stepped apart, the Doctor wrapping his arm around her waist. "Now you wouldn't shoot me or my fiancé now would you?"

"Fiancé? Well congratulations to the both of you." Winston beamed then spoke to the soldiers. "At ease."

"You rang?" The Doctor questioned as the soldiers lowered their guns.

-0-

Winston led them down a corridor as they spoke, the ongoing war evident all around them in the looks of strained faces, the dilapidated state of the building, and everything seemed chaotic.

"So you've changed your face again." Winston commented.

"Yeah, well, had a bit of work done." The Doctor replied with a shrug.

"And Stella, you've changed as well, I thought you were only a cyborg." Winston glanced to her.

"Oh well there was a meta-crisis thing, you know." Stella said leaving the PM with a confused look on his face. "How's Clementine?"

"As well as can be expected in these dark days, but she is as ever my rock." Winston sighed with a small smile. "I must, as always, thank you for introducing us and re-introducing us at that lovely dinner party."

"My pleasure, and the children?" Stella went on.

"Very well, though they are not children any longer and they wish to see you once again." Winston replied.

"Then I will do my best to do so." Stella nodded.

"Got it, got it, got it. Cabinet War Rooms, right?" Amy said in excitement.

"Yep. Top secret heart of the War Office, right under London." The Doctor said with a grin.

"You're late, by the way." Winston told them.

"Requisitions, sir." Blanche said handing Winston some forms and Winston handing the Doctor his cane.

"Excellent." Winston signed them handing them back as they were given to him.

"Late?" Stella prompted as the Doctor checked his watch.

"I rang you a month ago." Winston replied, looking over the forms.

"Really? Sorry, sorry. It's a Type Forty Tardis, it's. I'm just running her in." The Doctor explained.

"Yes, there was a loose nut at the wheel." Stella grinned.

"Oi, I am a very able pilot." The Doctor bopped her nose with his finger.

"Something the matter, Breen? You look a little down in the dumps." Winston took note of the woman taking the papers back from him.

"No, sir. Fine, sir." Blanche replied, shaking her head although her eyes were worried.

"Action this day, Breen. Action this day." Winston encouraged.

"Yes, sir." Blanche nodded walking away.

"Excuse me, sir." A young man, walked up to them. "Got another formation coming in, Prime Minister. Stukas, by the look of them."

"We shall go up top then, Group Captain. We'll give them what for. Coming, Doctor? Stella?" Winston called back to them.

"Why?" The Doctor asked as they followed.

"I have something to show you." Winston replied taking his cane back, stepping into a lift followed by the time travelers, the lift starting up as soon as the doors were closed. Winston smoked his stogy, the Doctor waving the offending smoke from his face.

"Winny, what did you wife say about smoking in people's faces?" Stella gave him a pointed look.

"Oh, right apologies." Winston lowered his stogy before talking again. "We stand at a crossroads, quite alone, with our backs to the wall. Invasion is expected daily. So I will grasp with both hands anything that will give us an advantage over the Nazi menace."

"Such as?" The Doctor asked.

"Follow me." Winston said stepping out of the lift when it stopped and the doors opened up onto the top floor then they continued onto the roof. There were sandbags and sentries, and a white-coated scientist searching the skies with powerful binoculars.

"Wow." Amy breathed out.

"Doctor, Stella, this is Professor Edwin Bracewell. Head of our Ironsides Project." Winston introduced them. The Doctor gave him a V for Victory salute and Stella gave him a jaunty salute.

"How do you do?" Bracewell said politely as he waved back to them.

"Two flights JU thirty eights approaching from the east." A soldier called out and a bomb landed nearby coming from the planes flying in over head.

"Oh, Doctor, Stella, it's…"Amy gazed wide eyed at all the barrage balloons moored over the city.

"History." The Doctor supplied for her.

"Ready, Bracewell?" Winston asked.

"Aye aye, sir." Bracewell gave the thumbs up though he was still looking through the binoculars. "On my order, fire!"

A barrage of energy bolts zoomed out from a sandbagged emplacement towards the approaching Nazi planes hitting everyone dead center destroying them all.

"What was that?" Amy asked.

"That wasn't human." Stella breathed out.

"That was never human technology." The Doctor said, his hearts beginning to race. "That sounded like."

"But it can't be." Stella shook her head.

"Show me. Show me. Show me what that was!" The Doctor ordered as he darted up a small ladder to a higher part of the roof.

"Advance." Bracewell ordered proudly.

"Our new secret weapon. Ha!" Churchill said as a Dalek rolled out from the emplacement. It's designation logo was a Union Flag and it was painted khaki, with an army utility belt around it.

"Oh no." Stella felt a cold sweat cover her body.

"What do you think? Quite something, eh?" Winston grinned.

"What are you doing here?" The Doctor asked in shock.

"I am your soldier." It replied.

"What?" Stella's hands griped tightly into fists as she stood in front of Amy protectively.

"I am your soldier." It repeated.

"Stop this. Stop now." The Doctor ordered as he stood eye to eye stalk with the Dalek. "Now, you know who I am. You always know."

"Your identity is unknown." The Dalek replied.

"Perhaps I can clarify things here. This is one of my Ironsides." Bracewell said proudly.

"Your what?" The Doctor looked to him.

"You will help the Allied cause in any way that you can." Bracewell said to the Dalek.

"Yes." The Dalek answered.

"Until the Germans have been utterly smashed." Bracewell said.

"Yes." The Dalek said.

"And what is your ultimate aim?" Bracewell questioned.

"To win the war." The Dalek replied. Stella moved quickly to Winston pulling Amy along with her by her hand, her back to the Dalek as she spoke quietly, but sternly.

"We need to have a word, now." Stella said with a dark look.

"Right, come this way." Winston said and led them back into the building and down to his office where the Doctor went straight into an explanation of what the Ironsides really were.

"They're Daleks. They're called Daleks." The Doctor said as he paced in front of Winston's desk.

"They are Bracewell's Ironsides, Doctor. Look. Blueprints, statistics, field tests, photographs." Winston motioned to the papers littering his desk, on top blue prints for the Daleks. "He invented them."

"Invented them? Oh, no, no, no." The Doctor shook his head leaning forward over the deck.

"Yes. He approached one of our brass hats a few months ago. Fellow's a genius." Winston replied as he braced himself up against his desk.

"A Scottish genius, too. Maybe you should listen to…" Amy started to speak.

"Shush." Stella ordered, popping a pink lollipop that tasted like apple pie complete with the taste of crust as well as giving off realistic warmth into her mouth. "He didn't invent them. They're alien."

"Alien." Churchill echoed as one glided past the open door, looking in, no one speaking until it was gone.

"And totally hostile." The Doctor said with a strained look.

"Precisely. They will win me the war." Winston replied showing them a poster with a Dalek on the front before moving out of his office, the others following him out into the corridor.

"Why won't you listen to me? Why did you call me in if you won't listen to me?" The Doctor demanded in frustration.

"When I rang you a month ago, I must admit I had my doubts." Churchill went on. "The Ironsides seemed too good to be true."

"Yes. Right. So destroy them. Exterminate them." The Doctor snapped.

"But imagine what I could do with a hundred. A thousand." Churchill replied.

"We are imagining." Stella said with a growl as a Dalek went past them carrying a despatch box. "Winston, listen, these things are bad news."

"Amy, tell him." The Doctor said as Winston went into another room ahead of them.

"Tell him what?" Amy asked in confusion.

"About the Daleks." The Doctor prompted.

"What would I know about the Daleks?" Amy's brows furrowed.

"Everything. They invaded your world, remember? Planets in the sky. You don't forget that." The Doctor turned to Amy whose face remained confused. "Amy, tell me you remember the Daleks."

"No, sorry." Amy shook her head.

"That's not possible." Stella breathed out sharing a worried look with the Doctor before they rushed into the map room. They stood near a poll watching a Dalek nearby, both of them tense and worried.

"Blue leader to Two squadron and six two three five seven. Over."

"Bandits at ten o'clock."

"Two three five seven. Over."

"So, they're up to something." Stella said as she and the Doctor eyed one of the Daleks.

"But what is it? What are they after?" The Doctor questioned as Amy walked up to them.

"Well, let's just ask, shall we?" Amy said easily and walked over to the Dalek.

"Amy. Amelia!" The Doctor snapped, but Amy ignored him tapping the Dalek's shell to gain its attention.

"Can I be of assistance?" It asked as it turned to him.

"Oh. Yes, yes. See, my friends reckons you're dangerous." Amy pointed back at them as she spoke. "That you're an alien. Is it true?"

"I am your soldier." It replied.

"Yeah. Got that bit. Love a squaddie. What else, though?" Amy asked rocking on her heels.

"Please excuse me. I have duties to perform." It moved past her not answering. Stella marched over taking Amy by the arm pulling her away.

"Did you really think that a race of evil mutants was just going to tell you their whole plan because you asked?!" Stella snapped.

"They don't seem to be dangerous." Amy argued.

"Amelia, who knows more of the universe, me or you?" Stella looked to her.

"You." Amy replied slowly.

"Then I think that it is a safe bet that you can trust me when I say that these things are evil incarnate and that you should stay away from them, go it?" Stella said seriously.

"Got it." Amy nodded, a little scared at how scared Stella seemed to be.

"Good." Stella said as she wrung her hands.

"Winston. Winston, please." The Doctor begged taking the cigar from Churchill's mouth.

"We are waging total war, Doctor. Day after day the Luftwaffe pound this great city like an iron fist." Churchill said, getting frustrated with the Doctor and Stella accusations.

"Wait till the Daleks get started." The Doctor replied.

"Men, women and children slaughtered. Families torn apart. Wren's churches in flame." Winston mourned.

"Yeah. Try the Earth in flames." Stella said with a bit of bite.

"I weep for my country. I weep for my empire. It is breaking my heart." Winston bemoaned as he walked around the map table, the Doctor and Stella following him.

"You're resisting, Winston. The whole world knows you're resisting. You're a beacon of hope." The Doctor argued as Winston signed more papers.

"But for how long?" Winston questioned. "Millions of innocent lives will be saved if I use these Ironsides now."

"Can I be of assistance?" A Dalek came up to them.

"Shut it." The Doctor snapped at it before looking back to Winston. "Listen to me. Just listen. The Daleks have no conscience, no mercy, no pity. They are my oldest and deadliest enemy. You cannot trust them."

"Winny listen to us, please…" Stella begged.

"If Hitler invaded hell, I would give a favorable reference to the Devil. These machines are our salvation." Winston said right before a siren sounded and he placed a hand over his heart in relief. "Oh, the All Clear. We are safe, for now."

"That's what you think." Stella muttered as Churchill left, the Dalek eyeing them for a moment, the Doctor and Stella glaring back before it rolled away.

"Doctor, Stella, it's the All Clear. You okay?" Amy said coming up to them, eyeing the tense time travelers.

"What does hate look like, Amy?" The Doctor questioned as he worried a hat he had picked up in his hands.

"Hate?" Amy asked.

"It looks like a Dalek." The Doctor said throwing the hat onto a table.

"And we're going to prove it." Stella said as they walked out of the room brushing past the Dalek on the way out.

-0-

In his laboratory Bracewell was hard at work on one of his numerous inventions. The whole of the room was littered with bits and pieces of machinery as well as many other forms of laboratory tools. As he worked at his bench he was approached by one of the Daleks.

"Would you care for some tea?" The Dalek asked.

"That would be very nice, thank you." Bracewell replied as the Doctor, Stella, and Amy came into the lab.

"All right, Prof. Now, the PM's been filling me in. Amazing things, these Ironsides of yours. Amazing. You must be very proud of them." The Doctor said as he picked up a spanner and walked over to some stacks of files.

"Just doing my bit." Bracewell said humbly, but with a proud smile.

"Not bad for a Paisley boy." Amy commented picking up the spanner the Doctor had set aside in favor of the files that he read while seated in a leather chair. Stella leaned perched on the arm reasing the files with the Doctor.

"Yes, I thought I detected a familiar cadence, my dear." Bracewell said looking to the red head.

"How did you do it? Come up with the idea?" Stella questioned looking up from the file to the so called inventor.

"How does the muse of invention come to anyone?" Bracewell questioned back.

"But you get a lot of these clever notions, do you?" The Doctor asked, throwing the files to the side.

"Well, ideas just seem to teem from my head. Wonderful things, like." Bracewell gestured to his head before going over to some stacks of notes he had, the others following. "Let me show you. Some musings on the potential of hypersonic flight." Bracewell showed them his ideas, handing the files to the Doctor and Stella who glanced them over before throwing them back down to the table. "Gravity bubbles that can sustain life outside of the terrestrial atmosphere. Came to me in the bath."

"And are these your ideas or theirs?" The Doctor asked with a dark look.

"Oh no, no, no. These robots are entirely under my control, Doctor. They are…." Bracewell was interrupted by the Dalek returning with his tea. "Thank you. The perfect servant, and the perfect warrior."

"I don't know what you're up to, Professor, but whatever they've promised, you cannot trust them." The Doctor said seriously as he leaned into the Professors face, pointing at him to emphasize his point. "Call them what you like, the Daleks are death."

"Yes, Doctor. Death to our enemies. Death to the forces of darkness, and death to the Third Reich." Winston said as he came into the room followed by another Dalek.

"Yes, Winston, and death to everyone else too." The Doctor said as a Dalek rolled up to Stella, who backed away going tense.

"Would you care for some tea?" It asked.

"Get away from me, just stay back!" Stella snapped as the Doctor darted between them knocking the tray from the Dalek's sucker, enraged that it had come anywhere near Stella.

"Stop this! What are you doing here? What do you want?" The Doctor demanded as Stella clung to the back of his jacket not only for comfort, but to pull the Doctor out of the way should things take a turn for the worse.

"We seek only to help you." The Dalek said.

"To do what?" The Doctor snapped as the others looked on worriedly.

"To win the war." The Dalek replied.

"Really? Which war?" The Doctor ground out.

"I do not understand." The Dalek said.

"This war, against the Nazis, or your war? The war against the rest of the Universe? The war against all life forms that are not Dalek?" The Doctor replied tensely.

"I do not understand. I am your soldier." The Dalek said.

"Oh, yeah? Okay. Okay, soldier, defend yourself." The Doctor picked up a huge spanner and started hitting the Dalek over and over again, his anger having reached the breaking point.

"Doctor, what the devil?" Churchill called out.

"You do not require tea?" The Dalek questioned as the Doctor beat it.

"Stop him! Prime Minister, please." Bracewell said fearfully.

"Doctor, what the devil? Please, these machines are precious." Winston tried to stop him.

"Come on. Fight back. You want to, don't you? You know you do." The Doctor yelled.

"I must protest." Bracewell said.

"What are you waiting for? Look, you hate me. You want to kill me. Well, go on. Kill me. Kill me!" The Doctor hit harder and harder.

"Doctor, be careful." Stella called out as she tried to pull him back.

"Please desist from striking me. I am your soldier." The Dalek said and the Doctor pushed past Stella attacking the Dalek again with all of his anger.

"You are my enemy! And I am yours." The Doctor roared. "You are everything I despise. The worst thing in all creation. I've defeated you time and time again. I've defeated you. I sent you back into the Void. I saved the whole of reality from you." The Doctor dropped the spanner and kicked the Dalek back causing him roll away into a small desk. "I am the Doctor. And you are the Daleks."

"Correct." The Dalek rolled forward next to the other Dalek. "Review testimony."

'I am the Doctor. And you are the Daleks.'

"Testimony. What are you talking about, testimony?" The Doctor questioned breathing hard as Stella wrapped one of her arms around his.

"Transmitting testimony now." The Dalek said.

"Transmit what, where?" Stella breathed out.

-0-

A Dalek saucer on the far side of the Moon came out of the shadows and into the light.

"Receiving testimony now." Gold Dalek said.

'I am the Doctor. And you are the Daleks.'

The lights on a golden Dalek-shaped pod lit up.

"Progenitor activated. Testimony accepted. Testimony accepted." The Gold Dalek chanted.

-0-

"Testimony accepted." The Dalek announced.

"Get back, all of you." The Doctor ordered, pulling Stella back with him.

"Marines! Marines, get in here." Winston called out and the two Marines who came through the door were instantly exterminated causing them all to flinch back, Stella reaching out and pulling Amy behind herself and the Doctor.

"Stop it, stop it, please." Bracewell begged, his hands held out in front of him. "What are you doing? You are my Ironsides."

"We are the Daleks." The Dalek said.

"But I created you." Bracewell said.

"No." The Dalek blew off Bracewell's left hand which sparked and spluttered causing the man to fall back in shock starring at the stump with wires sticking out of it. "We created you."

"Victory. Victory. Victory." The Daleks teleported away.

"What just happened, Doctor? Stella?" Amy questioned as the Doctor and Stella starred at the spot the Daleks had teleported from.

"I wanted to know what they wanted. What their plan was. I was their plan." The Doctor in horrified shock before racing out of the room pulling Stella along with him.

"Hey!" Amy raced after them.

"Testimony accepted. That's what they said. My testimony." The Doctor said as they came back into the filling room where the Tardis was parked.

"Don't beat yourself up because you were right. So, what do we do? Is this what we do now? Chase after them?" Amy asked as the Doctor opened up the Tardis.

"This is what I do….yeah, and it's dangerous, so you wait here with Stella." The Doctor replied.

"Excuse me?" Stella gripped his hand not allowing him to go into the Tardis.

"What, so you mean we've got to stay safe down here in the middle of the London Blitz?" Amy questioned.

"Safe as it gets around me." The Doctor said with a grin.

"Doctor…" Stella started.

"No Stella, I need you to stay here." The Doctor cut her off, taking her other hand in his. "I don't know what will happen up there so I need you on the ground, ok?"

"Fine, but you better come back." Stella relented with a sharp look.

"Always." The Doctor gave Stella a quick loving kiss before going back into the Tardis and it dematerialized before them. Stella watched as she twisted her engagement ring around her finger nervously, extremely worried for the safety of her Doctor.

"What's he expect us to do now?" Amy asked in annoyance.

"K B O, of course." Winston replied.

"What?" Amy looked to the Minister.

"Keep buggering on." Winston replied.

"Couldn't have said it better Winny." Stella said as she squared shoulders with a deep breath.

-0-

The Doctor set the scanner on search, looking for the location of the Dalek ship.

"Come on." The Doctor chanted before he finally got a hit. "Bingo!"

-0-

Winston, Amy, and Stella stayed in the file room waiting for any sign of the Doctor. Stella paced uncontrollably as she twisted her ring in agitation and bit at her lip.

"Daleks, why did it have to be Daleks?" Stella muttered in frustration. "Those stupid, horrible, salt and pepper shakers." Stella let out an angry growl slamming her hand into one of the shelves. "I should have gone with him."

"Stella, I'm sure he'll be fine." Amy tried to console her from where she was sitting.

"Amy, right now the Doctor is up there with the most evil thing the universe has ever given birth to. Every horrible horrific thing you've ever seen or heard of is what a Dalek is made up of and now he's up there on his own and I'm stuck down here." Stella rubbed her face in agitation.

"Stella…" Winston gained her attention. "I am sorry…that I did not listen to you and the Doctor."

"Winny, you're in the middle of a nightmare and were given a beacon of hope, how could you not cling to it with both hands? There's nothing to forgive, you wanted to save your people and your home, that it nothing to apologize for." Stella assured him as Blanche, one of the secretaries, came into the room.

"Prime Minister." Blanche announced herself.

"Yes?" Winston turned to Blanche.

"Signal from RDF, sir. Unidentified object. Hanging in the sky, Captain Childers says. We can't get a proper fix, though. It's too far up." Blanche informed them handing over the report.

"What do you think, Stella, Miss Pond? The Doctor's in trouble and now we know where he is." Winston said slapping the report.

"Yeah. Because he'll be on that ship, won't he." Amy said getting excited.

"Exactly, right in the middle of everything." Stella nodded.

-0-

An air raid warden was on duty surveying the entirety of London from atop a building. Barrage balloons were silhouetted against the night sky and flames illuminated some of the buildings below. Suddenly a light came on in a building across the road.

"Oi, put that light out." The Warden ordered sharply and the light was put out.

-0-

The khaki Daleks entered the space craft approaching the gold Dalek and the large machine. The three of them stood before the massive machine watching it as it worked.

"Commencing Phase Two. The Progenitor is activated. It begins." The gold Dalek said as the Progenitor lit up coming to life. "The final phase commences, channel all reserve power to Progenitor." Gold ordered, but then the Tardis materialized and the Doctor strolled out confidently.

"How about that cuppa now, then?" The Doctor asked in fake cheerfullness.

"It is the Doctor." Gold said.

"Exterminate." Another Dalek called out.

"Wait, wait, wait. I wouldn't if I were you. Tardis self-destruct, and you know what that means. My ship goes, you all go with it." The Doctor held out a Jammy Dodger biscuit.

"You would not use such a device." A Dalek said.

"Try me." The Doctor replied and one of the Daleks made to move forward.

"Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah. No scans. No nothing. One move and I'll destroy us all, you got that? Tardis bang bang, Daleks boom!" The Doctor said and the Dalek backed up. "Good boy." The Doctor started to wonder around one of the control consoles while keeping an eye on the Daleks while he talked. "This ship's pretty beaten up. Running on empty, I'd say, like you. When we last met, you were at the end of your rope. Finished."

"One ship survived." A Dalek said.

"And you fell back through time, yes. Crippled, dying." The Doctor said as he walked up to them his hands in his pockets.

"We picked up a trace. One of the Progenitor devices." A Dalek said.

"Progenitor? What's that when it's at home?" The Doctor asked.

"It is our past, and our future." A Dalek responded.

"Oh? That's deep. That is deep for a Dalek. What does it mean, though?" The Doctor questioned as he clapped his hands together.

"It contains pure Dalek DNA. Thousands were created. All were lost, save one." Gold said.

"Okay, but there's still one thing I don't get, though." The Doctor said as his brows scrunched up. "If you've got the Progenitor, why build Bracewell?"

"It was necessary." The Dalek said hesitantly.

"But why?" The Doctor looked to them, but none answered, they even looked ashamed almost as their eye stalks focused else were. "I get it. Oh, I get it. I get it. Oh ho! This is rich." The Doctor scoffed in realization. "The Progenitor wouldn't recognize you, would it? It saw you as impure. Your DNA is unrecognizable as Dalek."

"A solution was devised." A Dalek said.

"Yes, yes, yes. Me. My testimony. So you set a trap." The Doctor said bitterly as he started to pace while he talked. "You knew that the Progenitor would recognize me, the Daleks' greatest enemy. It would accept my word. My recognition of you." One of the Daleks moved over to a console activating it. "No. No, no. What are you doing?"

"Withdraw now, Doctor, or the city dies in flames." Gold ordered.

"Who are you kidding? This ship is a wreck. You don't have the power to destroy London." The Doctor replied as he held up the fake self-destruct button.

"Watch as the humans destroy themselves." Gold said and a ray went out from the spaceship causing the lights all over the city to come on.

"What the…? No." The Warden said in horror.

-0-

The map room was thrown into a frenzy of hurried panicked people as the generators came on lighting up London like a Christmas tree, making it a very easy target for the Nazi's. They tried to shut them down, but it was no use.

"The generators won't switch off. The lights are on all across London, Prime Minister."

"It's the Daleks." Stella spat out distastefully.

"The Germans can see every inch of the city. We're sitting ducks." Winston said in urgency. "Get those lights out before the Germans get here."

"Confirm. Squadron two four four and fifty six mobilized. Emergency. Emergency."

"One oh nine? One oh nine, confirm."

"Thousands will die if we don't get those lights out now." Churchill said in fear and desperation.

"German bombers sighted over the Channel, sir. ETA ten minutes, sir."

"Here they come. Get a message to Mister Attlee. War Cabinet meeting at oh three hundred hours." Winston ordered. "If we're all still here."

"We can't just sit here. We've got to take the fight to the Daleks." Amy said looking from Churchill to Stella, the cyborg standing rigidly with her arms crossed as she glared into space.

"How? None of our weapons are a match for theirs." Winston replied.

"Oh God, we must have something." Amy said, trying to think as she ran her hands through her hair.

"Six oh four Blenheim squadron, stand by."

"Oh. It's staring us in the face." Amy said suddenly gaining their attention. "A gift, from the Daleks."

"Amy, what do you…" Stella started to ask, but then her eyes lit up in realization as she started to hop in place before rushing down the hall with the others following. "Miss Pond, you are brilliant."

-0-

"Turn those lights off now." The Doctor demanded as he brandished the self-destruct button. "Turn London off or I swear I will use the Tardis self destruct."

"Stalemate, Doctor. Leave us and return to Earth." The Dalek ordered.

"Oh, that's it. That's your great victory? You leave?" The Doctor spat out.

"Extinction is not an option. We shall return to our own time and begin again." The Dalek announced.

"No, no, no. I won't let you get away this time. I won't." The Doctor replied, his anger building then the machine went quiet.

"We have succeeded. DNA reconstruction is complete. Observe, Doctor, a new Dalek paradigm." Five restyled Daleks glided out from the Progenitor cabinet as the Doctor watched on in a tense silence, each of the Dalek a different color. "The Progenitor has fulfilled our new destiny. Behold, the restoration of the Daleks. The resurrection of the master race."

-0-

Amy, Stella, and Churchill came into the lab just as Bracewell was lifting a gun to his head while weeping bitterly.

"Bracewell, put the gun down." Winston ordered.

"My life is a lie, and I choose to end it." Bracewell replied.

"In your own time, Paisley boy, because right now we need your help." Amy said as they walked over to him.

"But those creatures, my Ironsides, they made me? I can remember things. So many things. The last war. The squalor and the mud and the awful, awful misery of it all. What am I? What am I?" Bracewell demanded, the gun shaking in his hand.

"What you are, sir, is either on our side or theirs. Now, I don't give a damn if you're a machine, Bracewell. Are you a man?" Winston asked as he leaned forward causing Bracewell to hesitate.

"Listen to me. I understand." Stella said as she reached out, gently taking the gun from his hand and handing it to Amy who set it away from Bracewell. "Really, I do."

"You're not an alien? You're like me?" Bracewell looked to the lines that covered her.

"These markings, what I am, I was not always this way, I was human once, then I was recreated, but that doesn't make me any less human nor does it you. You may not have started out as human, but you can become one right now." Stella said as held his hand in hers. "Look, there is a spaceship up there lighting up London like a Christmas tree. Thousands of people will die tonight if we don't stop it, and you are the only one who can help take it down."

"I am?" Bracewell questioned.

"You're alien technology. You're as clever as the Daleks are, so start thinking." Amy stepped in looking between Stella and the two men. "What about rockets? You got rockets? Because you said gravity whatsits, hypersonic flight, some kind of missile."

"It isn't a fireworks party, Miss Pond. We need proper tactical. Oh. A missile. Or..." Winston's eyes lit up.

"Or what?" Stella asked.

"We could send something up there, you say?" Churchill asked.

"Yes, well, with a gravity bubble, yes, but. Theoretically it's possible that we could actually send something into space." Bracewell replied holding up his design, Winston taking it and looing it over.

"Bracewell, Stella, it's time to think big." Winston looked between the two as he slapped the desing back down on the table.

-0-

"All hail the new Daleks. All hail the new Daleks." The Daleks praised.

"Yes, you are inferior." White said.

"Yes." The Dalek replied.

"Then prepare." White said.

"We are ready." The Daleks said.

"Cleanse the unclean. Total obliteration. Disintegrate." White ordered and the new Daleks exterminated the old khaki and gold ones.

"Blimey. What do you do to the ones who mess up?" The Doctor questioned.

"You are the Doctor. You must be exterminated." White ordered as he moved forward, toward the Doctor.

"Don't mess with me, sweetheart." The Doctor held out his Jammy Dodger again.

-0-

"More Nazi bombers approaching in strike formation. Incendiary bombs have hit the East End of London."

"At last." Winston said as Bracewell and Stella came into the war room, Stella carrying a sort of TV radio combination with a round screen and Bracewell wearing a wired circlet around his head connected to it. "Are they ready?"

"I hope so." Bracewell replied as Stella sat down their invention on a nearby table and started to power it up.

"But in the meantime, this will pick up Dalek transmissions." Stella and Bracewell's rigged radar scanner whacking it a few times until it picked up a picture of the White Dalek and the Doctor.

"We are the paradigm of a new Dalek race." White said.

"It's him. It's the Doctor." Amy said with a grin.

"Right in the middle of a mess, that's my fiancé." Stella said as she bit her lip nervously. Amy glanced over to Stella seeing the fear in her eyes causing a cold shiver down her own back. Amy reached out patting Stella on the shoulder getting a small thankful smile from her.

"Scientist, Strategist, Drone, Eternal, and the Supreme." White named what each of them was.

"Which would be you, I'm guessing. Well, you know, nice paint job." The Doctor said, stading face to eyestalk with the white Dalek. "I'd be feeling pretty swish if I looked like you. Pretty supreme."

"He's got company. New company. You've got to hurry up." Amy said looking to Stella and Bracewell right before a phone went off.

"Yes? Right. Right, thanks." Bracewell answered the phone. "Ready when you are, Prime Minister.".

"Splendid." Winston nodded.

"Spaceship's exact coordinates located." Stella said as she brought it up on the screen for all to see.

"Go to it, Group Captain. Go to it." Churchill ordered and the Captain jumped to it.

"Broadsword to Danny Boy. Broadsword to Danny Boy. Scramble. Scramble. Scramble."

-0-

"Question is, what do we do now? Either you turn off your clever machine or I'll blow you and your new paradigm into eternity." The Doctor said.

"And yourself." White said.

"Occupational hazard." The Doctor replied.

"Does the one designated Stella share this view?" White questioned causing the Doctor to go tense. "Intelligence reveals you share an emotional bond with the female."

"Don't you dare talk about her, don't even say her name." The Doctor snapped angrily, distracting him from the blue Dalek who scanned him.

"Scan reveals nothing. Tardis self-destruct device non-existent." Blue said rolling up next to white causing the Doctor to groan lightly.

"All right, it's a Jammy Dodger, but I was promised tea." The Doctor ate his biscuit angrily before an alarm sounded.

"Alert. Unidentified projectile approaching. Correction, multiple projectiles." Blue alerted them, the Doctor darting over to one of the consoles.

"What have the humans done?" White demanded.

"I don't know." The Doctor replied in confusion as he worked the console.

"Explain. Explain. Explain." White ordered.

"Danny Boy to the Doctor. Danny Boy to the Doctor. Are you receiving me? Over."

"Oh ho! Winston, Stella, you beauties." The Doctor cheered with a wide grin as a flight of Spitfires were on their way surrounded by air bubbles.

"Danny Boy to the Doctor. Come in. Over."

"Loud and clear, Danny Boy. Big dish, side of the ship. Blow it up. Over." The Doctor answered.

"Exterminate the Doctor." White ordered as the Doctor ran for the Tardis.

"You heard him, Group Captain. Target that dish. Send in all we've got." Churchill ordered as Amy and Stella grinned looking back to the monitor.

"Broadsword to Danny Boy. Target the dish and stop that signal. Over."

"Understood, sir. Over. You can count on us. Over."

"Oh, good luck, lads."

"Okay, chaps, let's put London back under cover of darkness.

"Tally ho!"

"Cover my back, going in close."

"Pull out, pull out." The planes flew in opening fire, the Daleks returning fire, the planes weaving about between the shots and sending back just as good as they got.

"We've lost Jubilee, sir. Over." One of the planes was shot down, blasted to pieces and sent hurtling back to earth.

"Beam still active, sir."

"Send them in again." Churchill ordered and another plane was taken out.

"Flintlock's down sir, and the dish seems to be protected. Over."

"Shields intact. Pulse still active." Orange reported.

"Danny Boy to the Doctor. Only me left now. Anything you can do, sir? Over."

"The Doctor to Danny Boy. The Doctor to Danny Boy. I can disrupt the Dalek shields, but not for long. Over." The Doctor and got to work on his console, his face drawn.

"Good show, Doctor. Go to it. Over. I'm going in. Wish me luck. Over."

"Shields de-activated." Danny-boy destroyed the shield, the explosion rocketing through the Dalek ship. "Energy pulse destroyed."

"Direct hit, sir!"

Amy and Stella hugged each other as they all cheered while up on the roof, the Air Raid Warden watched the lights go out all over London.

"Thank the Lord." The warden said then shook his fist at the sky. "Do your worst, Adolf."

"Danny Boy to the Doctor. Going in for another attack."

"The Doctor to Danny Boy. The Doctor to Danny Boy. Destroy this ship. Over." The Doctor ordered urgently into his comm.

"What about you, Doctor?"

"I'll be okay." The Doctor said before the Supreme appeared on his screen.

"Doctor, call off your attack." White ordered.

"Ah ha. What, and let you scuttle off back to the future? No fear. This is the end for you. The final end." The Doctor replied as he leaned against the railing.

"Call off the attack, or we will destroy the Earth." White threatened.

"I'm not stupid, mate. You've just played your last card." The Doctor said.

"Bracewell is a bomb." White said.

"You're bluffing. Deception's second nature to you. There isn't a sincere bone in your body. There isn't a bone in your body." The Doctor said before the Supreme Dalek went from the large screen to the console screen.

"His power is derived from an Oblivion Continuum. Call off your attack, or we will detonate the android." White said and the Doctor felt his hearts drop.

"No. This is my best chance ever. The last of the Daleks. I can rid the Universe of you, once and for all." The Doctor said, almost desperate.

"Then do it. But we will shatter the planet below." White challenged. "The Earth will die screaming."

"Yeah, and if I let you go, you'll be stronger than ever. A new race of Daleks." The Doctor said bitterly.

"Then choose, Doctor. Destroy the Daleks or save the Earth." White taunted. "Begin countdown of Oblivion Continuum. Choose, Doctor. Choose. Choose."

"The Doctor to Danny Boy. The Doctor to Danny Boy. Withdraw." The Doctor ordered quickly.

"Say again, sir. Over."

"Withdraw. Return to Earth. Over and out." The Doctor snapped sending the Tardis into motion.

"But sir."

"There's no time. You have to return to Earth now. Over." The Doctor ordered and the Spitfire returned to Earth as the Tardis materialized in the filing room again, the Doctor bursting out of the doors.

"The Doctor has failed. His compassion is his greatest weakness." White declared. "Daleks have no such weakness."

The Doctor ran down the corridor into the war room and punched Bracewell on the jaw, knocking him down with a hard upper cut to the jaw. The Doctor then shook his hand with a wince of pain as the others looked on in shock.

"OW!" The Doctor whined.

"Doctor!" Amy snapped.

"What was that for?" Stella questioned as she kneeled down next to Bracewell.

"Sorry, Professor, you're a bomb." The Doctor said kneeling down next to them. "An inconceivably massive Dalek bomb."

"What?" Bracewell asked in confusion and fear.

"There's an Oblivion Continuum inside you. A captured wormhole that provides perpetual power. Detonate that, and the Earth will bleed through into another dimension. Now keep down." The Doctor used his sonic screwdriver to open up Bracewell's torso.

"Well?" Amy asked as one of the five blue segments of a circle on Bracewell's torso turned yellow.

"I don't know, I don't know, I don't know." The Doctor said, panicking. "Never seen one up close before. Stella?"

"Once, but we couldn't deactivate it, we had to run." Stella said fearfully. "We barely made it out, but that was just a ship, only fifty people to evacuate."

"So what, they've wired him up to detonate?" Amy questioned.

"Oh no, not wired him up. He is a bomb. Walking, talking, pow, exploding, the moment that flashes red." The Doctor gestured wildly.

"There's a blue wire or something you have to cut, isn't there? There's always a blue wire. Or a red one." Amy supplied as the Doctor stood up pointing at her.

"You're not helping." The Doctor said and started to pace.

"It's incredible. He talked to us about his memories. The Great War." Winston said in wonder.

"Someone else's stolen thoughts, implanted in a positronic brain." The Doctor replied as he tossed his sonic back and forth between his hands trying to think.

"But he's not just a bomb, I know what to do." Stella said in realization. "Now listen to me Edwin, tell us about it, Bracewell, tell us about your life.

"Stella, I really don't think this is the time." Bracewell shook his head.

"Tell us, and prove you're human." Stella pressed as she placed her hand on his shoulder, her free hand holding his. "Tell us everything."

"My family ran the Post Office. It's a little place just near the abbey, just by the ash trees. There used to be eight trees but there was a storm." Bracewell said in a strained voice.

"And your parents? Come on, tell me." Stella encouraged him.

"Good people. Kind people. They died. Scarlet fever." Bracewell started to tear up.

"What was that like? How did it feel? How did it make you feel, Edwin? Tell me. Tell me now." Stella said desperately.

"It hurt. It hurt, Stella, it hurt so badly. It was like a wound. I thought it was worse than a wound. Like I'd been emptied out. There was nothing left." Bracewell said as he cried. Stella took his hand between hers holding it tightly as two red, one yellow and two blue segments remained.

"Good. Remember it now, Edwin. The ash trees by the Post Office and your mum and dad, and losing them, and men in the trenches you saw die." The Doctor pressed, catching on to what Stella was trying to do. "Remember it. Feel it. You feel it because you're human. You're not like them. You're not like the Daleks."

"It hurts, Doctor. It hurts so much." Bracewell gripped Stella's hand as he cried.

"Good. Good, good, brilliant. Embrace it. That means you're alive. They cannot explode that bomb because you're a human being. You are flesh and blood. They cannot explode that bomb. Believe it. You are Professor Edwin Bracewell, and you, my friend, are a human being." The Doctor told him, but now it was four red, one yellow. "It's not working. I can't stop it."

"Hey, Paisley. Ever fancied someone you know you shouldn't?" Amy walked over to them, kneeling down next to Stella.

"What?" Bracewell looked to her.

"It hurts, doesn't it?" Amy glanced up at the Doctor, then to Stella before looking back to him. "But kind of a good hurt."

"I really shouldn't talk about her." Bracewell turned red.

"Oh. There's a her?" Amy teased with a smile as the yellow turned back to blue.

"What was her name?" Stella asked.

"Dorabella." Bracewell breathed out.

"Dorabella?" The Doctor snickered slightly causing Stella to reach over Bracewell and pop the Doctor upside the head with a disapproving look. "It's a lovely name. It's a beautiful name."

"What was she like, Edwin?" Amy asked.

"Oh, such a smile. And her eyes. Her eyes were so blue. Almost violet, like the last touch of sunset on the edge of the world. Dorabella." Bracewell sighed with a dreamy look then all of the segments returned to blue.

"Welcome to the human race." The Doctor grinned before shooting to his feet followed by Stella. The Doctor pointed at Churchill. "You're brilliant." Pointed to Bracewell. "You're brilliant." Points to Amy. "You're Brilliant." Points to Stella. "And you…I…" The Doctor grabbed hold of Stella pulling her into a deep dip and a passionate kiss, then brought her back up leaving her breathless and giggling. "Now. Got to stop them." The Doctor made for the door along with Stella. "Stop the Daleks."

"Wait, Doctor." Bracewell stopped him as he sat up, the Doctor and Stella looking back to him. "Wait, wait. It's too late."

-0-

"Detonation sequence activated." White announced. "Time corridor establishing."

"Time jump in thirty rels." Blue said.

"Countdown proceeding." White said.

"Oblivion Continuum inactive." Blue called out.

"Impossible." White replied.

"Time jump imminent. Prepare." Blue said.

"You will never defeat us, Doctor. We will return." White said triumphantly.

"We will return." The Dalek spaceship made the time jump.

-0-

"Gone." Bracewell said as the Doctor's face became stricken. "They've gone."

"No. No!" The Doctor snapped in despair. "They can't. They can't have got away from me again."

"No, I can feel it. My mind is clear. The Daleks have gone." Bracewell shook his head as the Doctor grabbed hold of a nearby support beam, leaning against it heavily.

"Doctor, it's okay. You did it. You stopped the bomb. Doctor?" Amy tried to cheer him up.

"I had a choice. And they knew I'd choose the Earth. The Daleks have won. They beat me. They've won." The Doctor shook his head looking away.

"No they didn't." Stella stepped up to him cupping his face gently making him look at her. "Do you honestly think that if you had chosen differently that it would make you feel better? Yes, they got away, but think about all those you saved, look around at all of these people around you right now living and breathing because of you and tell me again that you lost." The Doctor reached up covering her hands with his. "You saved the Earth my love, you saved all of our lives."

"She's right Doctor, not too shabby, is it? Is it?" Amy grinned as the Doctor let go of Stella's hands and wrapping his arm around her waist holding her closer to his side pressing a kiss onto the top of her head.

"No, it's not too shabby." The Doctor said looking down at Stella, knowing that letting Bracewell explode was never an option, not with his Starlight on earth. He couldn't bare it should anything happen to her.

"It's a brilliant achievement, my dear friend. Here, have a cigar." Winston offered, pulling one of his cigars from his pocket.

"No." The Doctor waved him off with a slight smile.

-0-

It was a new morning over London, and the Air Raid Warden along with some troops raised the flagpole with the Union Flag on it, saluting it proudly. They had survived the night and were ready to face what was to come.

"So, what now, then?" Amy looked to Winston as they stood in a much quieter war room.

"I still have a war to run, Miss Pond." Winston replied.

"Prime Minister." A young woman handed some papers to Winston.

"Oh, thank you. Oh, they hit the Palace and Saint Paul's again. Fire crews only just saved it." Winston reported right before a young woman burst into tears.

"Is she okay?" Amy asked looking over to her.

"What?" Winston asked looking up from his papers.

"She looks very upset." Amy gestured to where the crying woman was being comforted by another woman.

"Oh, Miss Breen? Her young man didn't make it, I'm afraid. Just got word. Shot down over the Channel." Winston lamented before looking back to Amy. "Where's the Doctor and Stella?"

"Tying up loose ends." Stella announced as she and the Doctor walked back into the War room.

"We've taken out all the alien tech Bracewell put in." The Doctor informed them.

"Won't you reconsider? Those Spitfires would win me the war in twenty hours." Winston pleaded.

"Exactly." The Doctor replied as he picked up his cup of tea, sipping at it while Stella took out a rainbow sucker.

"But why not? Why can't we put an end to all this misery?" Churchill questioned pleadingly.

"Oh, it doesn't work like that, Winston, and it's going to be tough." The Doctor said truthfully as he sat his tea aside, his face serious. "There are terrible days to come. The darkest days. But you can do it."

"You know you can." Stella added with a wink.

"Stay with us, and help us win through. The world needs you both." Winston looked between them.

"The world doesn't need us." The Doctor shook his head.

"No?" Winston looked less than convinced.

"The world's got Winston Spencer Churchill." Stella said grandly with a bright smile.

"It's been a pleasure, Doctor, Stella, as always." Churchill smiled back.

"Too right." The Doctor wrapped his arm around Stella pulling her close to his side.

"Goodbye, Doctor." Winston said holding out his arms

"Oh, shall we say adieu?" The Doctor and Churchill embraced patting each other's back affectionately.

"Indeed." Winston moved onto Stella, the two of them hugging each other tightly while th Doctor picked his tea back up.

"Give my love to the family and tell them I'll visit." Stella pressed a friendly kiss onto Winston's cheek.

"I will, goodbye Stella." Winston nodded as they stepped back.

"Goodbye Winny." Stella smiled.

"Goodbye, Miss Pond." Winston moved on to Amy.

"It's…it's been amazing, meeting you." Amy said gripping her hands under her chin.

"I'm sure it has." Winston said as Amy pecked him on the cheek then they separated allowing Churchill to start to walk away. "Oi, Churchill. Tardis key." Amy held out her hand as the Doctor quickly put his tea back down to dig through his pockets, but not finding his key. "The one you just took from the Doctor."

"Oh, she's good, Doctor. As sharp as a pin. Almost as sharp as me." Churchill searched his pockets for the key, but came up empty. "I had it in my pocket, but it's not there anymore."

"That's because I picked your pocket when I hugged you." Stella held up the key with a wink. "Shame on you Winny."

"Should have known I wouldn't be able to fool you." Winston laughed as Stella returned the key to the Doctor.

"Yes, you should have." Stella said with a fake lofty voice while Winston chuckle and lit up a cigar before looking back to them.

"K B O." Churchill said with a smile and turned leaving the room to get back to the war.

-0-

The Doctor led Stella and Amy down the halls toward Bracewell's lab. They found the man standing despondently in front of one of his tables littered with different pieces of Daleks, but he also looked very resigned.

"I've been expecting you, Doctor, Stella. I knew this moment had to come." Bracewell sighed sporting a new hand in a black leather glove.

"Moment?" Stella raised an eyebrow looking to the Doctor who shrugged unknowingly.

"It's time to de-activate me." Bracewell went on.

"Is it? Oh. Er, yeah." The Doctor said, nodding his head slowly.

"You have no choice. I'm Dalek technology. Can't allow me to go pottering around down here where I have no business." Bracewell said, his head held high.

"No, you're dead right, Professor. A hundred percent right. And by the time we get back here in what, ten minutes?" The Doctor looked to Stella and Amy.

"More like fifteen." Amy corrected him.

"Fifteen minutes, yeah, that's exactly what we're going to do." The Doctor agreed pointedly. "You are going to be so de-activated. It's going be like you've never even been activated."

"Yeah." Stella nodded.

"Fifteen minutes?" Bracewell repeated.

"More like twenty, if I'm honest. Once Stella, Pond, and I see to the urgent thing we've got to see to. The, the. See?" The Doctor with a look, trying to get him to read between the lines.

"Very well, I shall wait here and prepare myself." Bracewell said standing up straight.

"That Dalek tech a bit slow on the uptake." Amy said in a sotto voice to the time travelers who nodded. "That thing we've got to do, going to take half an hour, realistically, isn't it, Doctor, Stella?"

"Easily. So no running off, that's what I'm saying. Don't go trying to find that little Post Office with the ash trees or that girl." The Doctor listed off. "What was her name?"

"Dorabella." Bracewell answered in confusion as to why he was bringing all of this up.

"Dorabella. On no account go looking for her. Mind you, you can get a lot done in half an hour." The Doctor went on, but Bracewell still looked blank.

"Oh for the love of…just go, go and find your girl, find the post office, and live a normal, average, human life, now get out of here." Stella ordered sternly.

"Oh! Oh, thank you." Bracewell said happily in excitement as they all laughed for his joy. "Thank you, Doctor, Stella."

"Come along, Pond." The Doctor said with a smile as he took Stella's hand and they walked out of the room leaving Bracewell to start packing a suitcase. They all made their way back to the storage room where the Tardis set waiting for them.

"So, you have enemies then?" Amy commented.

"Everyone's got enemies." The Doctor replied leaning against the Tardis, his arms wrapped around Stella from behind holding her to his chest while Amy leaned against the door next to them.

"Yeah, but mine's the woman outside Budgens with the mental Jack Russell." Amy shot back with a scoff. "You two have got, like, you know, arch-enemies."

"Suppose so." The Doctor rested his chin on the top of Stella's head.

"And here's me thinking we'd just be running through time, being daft and fixing stuff. But no, it's dangerous." Amy said looking to them.

"Yep. Very." Stella said looking at her from the corner of her eye. "Is that a problem?"

"I'm still here, aren't I?" Amy replied making the Doctor and Stella smile. "You're worried about the Daleks."

"We're always worried about the Daleks." The Doctor said softly as Stella covered his hands with hers, rubbing them soothingly.

"It'll take time though, won't it? I mean, there's still not many of them. They'll need a while to build themselves up." Amy tried to encourage them.

"It's not that. There's something else. Something we've forgotten. Or rather you have." Stella said with a deep worried frown that was reflected on the Doctor's face.

"Me?" Amy asked in confusion.

"You didn't know them, Amy. You'd never seen them before. And you should have done." The Doctor said in a grave voice. "You should."

Amy frowned in confusion as she followed the Doctor and Stella into the Tardis, the door closing behind them before it dematerialized, revealing a glowing w shaped crack in the wall.

-0-

"And this is your room." Stella said swinging the door open with a flourish causing Amy to gasp in amazement as she took it all in.

"This is…it's amazing!" Amy ran into the room jumping onto the bed, but was soon back on her feet sprinting around the room. "It's the room I've always wanted!"

"I'm glad you like it." Stella smiled watching Amy run around, checking out all of the ends and outs of her new room. "I'll leave you to enjoy it, if you need anything just shout, we'll hear, and try not to wander off, the Tardis can be a maze when she wants to be."

"Right, sure, got it! Oh my gosh, look at that!" Amy said still looking over everything making Stella chuckle as she shut the door behind herself.

Stella walked down the hall now that Amy was settled in search the Doctor finding him in the console room where he hung underneath tinkering with this and that. She hummed worriedly to herself before going down the stairs ducking under the console.

"You should be getting ready for bed." The Doctor commented not looking up from his work.

"So should you, you haven't slept since you regenerated." Stella said worriedly as she wrapped her arms around him loosely from behind, resting her chin on his shoulder.

"I'm fine." The Doctor muttered as he lifted his goggles so they were resting above his eyes.

"You think I believe that?" Stella sighed out.

"No." The Doctor replied leaning his head against hers. "They'll come back." The Doctor said as he reached up gripping her arms, his thumbs rubbing gentle circles into her skin. "They'll come back and…" He pulled back so they were face to face, his eyes red rimmed and filled with fear. "…you may get hurt or worse, I can't lose you."

"Theta." Stella said softly as he pulled her onto his lap, his arms circling around her waist pulling her close as he buried his face into the junction where her shoulder met her neck. She wound her arms around his shoulder rubbing the back of his head soothingly pressing a kiss onto the top of his head. "It's going to be ok Theta."

"But they'll show up again, they always come after me and you'll get hurt because of it." The Doctor tightened his hold on her.

"Theta, my love, I wish that I could say that everything is going to be alright, that those monster will never trouble us again, that neither of us will ever come to harm, but I can't." Stella gently leaned back cupping the side of his face so he was looking up at her. "What I can promise is that whatever happens we will work it out together, those pepper shakers haven't defeated us yet and they never will. Whatever they throw at us, we'll just throw it right back at them."

"I love you Starlight." The Doctor smiled softly with a small chuckle.

"I love you as well Theta." Stella leaned down kissing him softly. "Now I think you need something to take your mind off of this, how about a stroll through the gardens? The Tardis has three beautiful moons out right now."

"Sounds good." The Doctor said as he stood up with Stella still in his arms causing her to laugh, her arms circling around his neck. They walked up to a wood door engraved with a floral pattern that opened up for them revealing a wild garden lit up with three moons and a multitude of fireflies.

After their fun in the garden, dancing, playing hide and seek, and doing a lot of other fun things that popped into their heads, she and the Doctor had lay down on the ground looking up at the artificial stars, talking softly to one another until they had fallen into a peaceful sleep, something they were both in need of, but after a good night's rest the Tardis had activated a sun rise to wake them up.

Stella's nose twitched as she tried to get it to stop tickling, but the tickle was persistent so she reached up trying to wave it away only for it to come back. It wasn't until she heard the chuckle that she cracked open an eye to find the Doctor propped up on one of his elbows with a piece of grass in hand.

"Time to wake up Stella my Starlight." The Doctor said in a sing song voice.

"No, I'm comfy." Stella mumbled pulling the blanket that the Tardis had provided for them tighter around herself as she nuzzled her face against the Doctor's chest.

"I know love, but we have a companion waiting for our next adventure." The Doctor pointed out wrapping his arms around as he plopped back down pulling her further onto his chest.

"Yeah, I guess so." Stella mumbled though neither of them made an immediate move to get up. The Doctor started to run his hand through her hair while Stella had started to hum a nameless tune, the two of them enjoying this moment of peace together.


	4. Chapter 4

Stella and Amy followed the Doctor as he ran through the museum commenting on the labelling of the various exhibits. Stella adjusted the straps of her jean overall shorts which hung over a burnt orange v neck peasant blouse with long belle sleeves and over her shirt and overalls she had on a knit light brown thigh length fringed vest. On her feet was a pair of calf high dark brown boots, a pair of dark brown knee high lace socks under that, and a straw cowgirl hat perched on her head, and her hair hung loose down her back in loose curls.

"Wrong. Wrong. Bit right, mostly wrong." The Doctor pointed out gleefully. "I love museums."

"Yeah, great. Can we go to a planet now? Big space ship? Churchill's bunker? You promised me a planet next." Amy whined with a pout.

"Amy, this isn't any old asteroid. It's the Delerium Archive, the final resting place of the headless monks." The Doctor smiled. "The biggest museum ever."

"You've got a time machine." Amy pointed out. "What do you need museums for?"

"I'll give you three guesses." Stella replied holding up three fingers. "And the first two don't count."

"Wrong. Very wrong. Ooo, one of mine. Also one of mine." The Doctor went on ignoring them.

"Oh, I see." Amy said in realization. "It's how you keep score."

"Hey, Stella, I see a few of yours in here to." The Doctor called out.

"Ding, ding, ding we have a winner." Stella clapped with a smile as they walked over to the Doctor who had become very taken by a square box in a case.

"Oh great, an old box." Amy rolled her eyes as they all gathered around the glass case leaning on it.

"It's from one of the old starliners." The Doctor pointed to the box.

"It's a Home Box." Stella said.

"What's a Home Box?" Amy asked.

"Like a black box on a plane, except it homes." Stella explained as she looked at the writing with a small smile that was slowly growing. "Anything happens to the ship, the Home Box flies home with all the flight data."

"So?" Amy asked resting her head in her hands.

"The writing, the graffiti. Old High Gallifreyan." The Doctor said getting excited.

"The lost language of the Time Lords." Stella told Amy.

"There were days, there were many days, these words could burn stars and raise up empires, and topple gods." The Doctor told Amy with a grin.

"What does it say?" Amy asked, but the Doctor hesitated while shooting a look at Stella who was grinning in amusement.

"Hello, sweetie." The Doctor finally said reluctantly. "I need to get this box out." The Doctor tried his sonic to no affect. "It's dead locked, who dead locks a home box?"

Stella looked around then smiled as she grabbed a stanchion and smashed the case open causing the Doctor and Amy to spring back. Throwing the stanchion to the side she grabbed the box shaking the glass from it and held it up.

"Got it." Stella smiled then an alarm broke out. "Oh, time to run." The guards ran at them chasing them through the halls all the way back to the Tardis. "You'll never catch us alive coppers!"

"Stella, do not antagonize the authorities." The Doctor playfully chastised her as he pulled her into the TARDIS.

"Yes dear." Stella replied as they closed the door behind them.

"Why are we doing this?" Amy asked following the couple up to the console.

"Because someone on a spaceship twelve thousand years ago is trying to attract our attention." The Doctor replied.

"Let's see if we can get the security playback working." Stella said as she hooked up the home box and they all looked at the screen. The playback showed River winking at the camera.

'The party's over, Doctor Song yet still you're on board.' Alistair said.

'Sorry, Alistair.' River replied. "I needed to see what was in your vault. Do you all know what's down there? Any of you? Because I'll tell you something. This ship won't reach its destination.'

'Wait till she runs. Don't make it look like an execution.' Alistair ordered.

'Triple seven five slash three four nine by ten zero twelve slash acorn.' River said as the Doctor and Stella started to work the console. "Oh, and I could do with an air corridor."

"What was that? What did she say?" Amy asked.

"Coordinates." The Doctor replied.

'Like I said on the dance floor, you might want to find something to hang on to.' River was standing in front of an airlock and blew a kiss as it opened. Alistair and his guards had to hang onto rails as River was sucked out, backwards, the TARDIS materializing in her flight path.

"Whoo!" The Doctor cheered. "Stella get the door."

"On it." Stella ran over to the door pulling it open and holding out her hand only for River Song to come sailing in landing on top of her.

"Stella?" Amy asked in concern.

"River?" The Doctor said looking around the console.

"Doctor, Amy, now that we know who everyone is could you get off, you're crushing my pancreas." Stella winced as River smiled standing up pulling Stella with her.

"If you insist." River smirked with a wink. "Follow that ship." River said and ran over to the console with Stella helping the Doctor set the TARDIS into motion in order to track the ship. "They've gone into warp drive. We're losing them. Stay close."

"I'm trying." The Doctor replied as they ran around pressing buttons and pulling levers.

"Use the stabilizers." River ordered.

"There aren't any stabilizers." The Doctor said.

"The blue switches." River said.

"Oh, the blue ones don't do anything, they're just blue." The Doctor replied.

"Yes, they're blue. Look, they're the blue stabilizers." River pressed them and the Tardis stopped shaking. "See?"

"Yeah. Well, it's just boring now, isn't it? They're boring-ers. They're blue boring-ers." The Doctor pouted as he plopped down in the captain's chair.

"Yeah, that's why we never used them." Stella nodded with a small amused smile as the Doctor pulled her down into his lap resting his chin on her shoulder.

"Doctor, Stella, how come she can fly the Tardis?" Amy asked as she came to stand next to them.

"You call that flying the Tardis? Ha!" The Doctor rolled his eyes.

"Okay. I've mapped the probability vectors, done a fold-back on the temporal isometry, charted the ship to its destination, and parked us right alongside." River said putting the scanner to the side.

"Parked us? We haven't landed." The Doctor said as he stood back up with Stella.

"Of course we've landed. I just landed her." River said.

"But, it didn't make the noise." The Doctor said.

"What noise?" River asked.

"You know, the…" The Doctor imitated the wheezing sound of the TARDIS.

"It's not supposed to make that noise. You leave the brakes on." River pointed out.

"Yeah, well, it's a brilliant noise. I love that noise." The Doctor said then ran over to the doors pulling Stella with him. "Come along, Pond. Let's have a look."

"No, wait. Environment checks." River stopped him.

"Oh yes, sorry. Quite right. Environment checks." The Doctor opened the TARDIS door and looked out. "Nice out."

"We're somewhere in the Garn Belt. There's an atmosphere. Early indications suggest that…" River started as she looked at the scanning's on the screen.

"We're on Alfava Metraxis, the seventh planet of the Dundra System. Oxygen rich atmosphere, all toxins in the soft band, eleven hour day and chances of rain later." The Doctor cut her off.

"He thinks he's so hot when he does that." River scoffed.

"He is hot when he does that." Stella smiled as the Doctor pulled her close pressing a loving kiss to her forehead.

"How come you can fly the Tardis?" Amy asked.

"Oh, I had lessons from the very best." River smiled.

"Well, yeah." The Doctor preened.

"It's a shame you were busy that day." River said to him winking to Stella who giggled at the Doctors pout. "Right then, why did they land here?"

"They didn't land." The Doctor commented.

"Sorry?" River walked over to them.

"You should've checked the Home Box. It crashed." Stella pointed out the door and River walked out.

"Explain who is that and how did she do that museum thing?" Amy demanded as the Doctor closed the door and followed Stella back up to the console.

"It's a long story and we don't know most of it." Stella shrugged leaning against the console.

"Off we go." The Doctor said.

"What are you doing?" Amy asked watching him as he worked the console.

"Leaving. She's got where she wants to go, let's go where we want to go." The Doctor replied.

"Are you basically running away?" Amy asked.

"Yep." The Doctor nodded.

"Why?" Amy asked.

"Because she's the future." The Doctor replied sharing a glance with Stella. "Our future."

"Can you run away from that?" Amy asked.

"We can run away from anything we like. Time is not the boss of us." The Doctor said looking back to the console.

"Hang on, is that a planet out there?" Amy asked suddenly.

"Yes, of course it's a planet." The Doctor answered.

"You promised me a planet. Five minutes?" Amy looked mostly to Stella, pleadingly who looked to the Doctor for his decision.

"Okay, five minutes." The Doctor relented under the two girls gazes.

"Yes!" Amy cheered racing for the door.

"But that's all, because I'm telling you now, that woman is not dragging me into anything." The Doctor called out after her.

"Famous last words before we get dragged into something." Stella said looping her arm with the Doctor's as they followed Amy.

"Well not this time." The Doctor said.

"Want to make a bet?" Stella smiled at him.

"I win you get me three boxes of Jammie Dodgers and if you win I get you three bags of lollipops." The Doctor suggested holding out his hand.

"Deal." Stella shook his hand before they left the TARDIS.

-0-

A once sleek spaceship was a burning wreck sticking out of a rock-carved building, smoke drifting up through the air from the collision. It as nothing more than wreckage now and left almost nothing of the building it rammed into.

"Because regular parking is to mainstream." Stella said sarcastically.

"What caused it to crash?" Amy asked.

"Not me." River said.

"Nah, the airlock would've sealed seconds after you blew it." The Doctor said. "According to the Home Box, the warp engines had a phase shift."

"No survivors." Stella shook her head solemnly.

"A phase shift would have to be sabotage." River said. "I did warn them."

"About what?" The Doctor asked.

"Well, at least the building was empty." River commented. "Aplan temple. Unoccupied for centuries."

"Aren't you going to introduce us?" Amy asked.

"Amy Pond, Professor River Song." The Doctor replied.

"Ah, I'm going to be a Professor someday, am I? How exciting." River smiled as the Doctor flinched at his mistake. "Spoilers."

"Yeah, but who is she and how did she do that? She just left you a note in a museum." Amy went on.

"Two things always guaranteed to show up in a museum. The Home Box of category four starliner and sooner or later, him dragging Stella along with him." River remarked. "It's how he keeps score."

"I know." Amy replied.

"It's hilarious, isn't it?" River laughed with Amy.

"I think it's cute." Stella shrugged as the Doctor came up behind her resting his hands on her shoulders.

"I'm nobody's taxi service." The Doctor looked to River as Stella took his hand wrapping them around herself as she leaned against him. "I'm not going to be there to catch you every time you feel like jumping out of a space ship."

"And you are so wrong." River smiled at the couple before getting back on subject. "There's one survivor. There's a thing in the belly of that ship that can't ever die. Now he's listening."

"Ooo ominous warning." Stella looked up at the Doctor as River walked away and used her communicator.

"You lot in orbit yet...Yeah, I saw it land….I'm at the crash site…. Try and home in on my signal." River said then called out to the Doctor. "Doctor, can you sonic me? I need to boost the signal so we can use it as a beacon."

The Doctor did so, grudgingly.

"Ooo, Doctor, you sonicked her." Amy teased.

"Amy it's a long walk to Leadworth from here, just saying." Stella commented playfully…well kind of playfully.

"Sorry." Amy mumbled with an apologetic smile.

"We have a minute. Shall we?" River got out her Tardis-style diary. "Where are we up to? Have we done the Bone Meadows?"

"What's the book?" Amy asked about to take a look.

"Stay away from it." The Doctor said pulling her back.

"What is it though?" Amy asked.

"Her diary." Stella answered taking a pink and blue lollipop from her pocket and sticking it in her mouth after she unwrapped it.

"Our diary." River corrected her.

"Her past, our future. Time travel. We keep meeting in the wrong order." The Doctor said as four small tornadoes kick up the dust and turn into four soldiers.

"Oh River, not these guys." Stella whined as she glared at River who sent her an apologetic smile.

"You promised me an army, Doctor Song." Octavian said as he stepped forward

"No, I promised you the equivalent of an army. This is the Doctor and this is Stella." River replied with a smirk as the Doctor and Stella looked at each other then back at the soldiers.

"Father Octavian, Sir. Bishop, second class. Twenty clerics at my command." Octavian said. "The troops are already in the drop ship and landing shortly. Doctor Song was helping us with a covert investigation. Has Doctor Song explained what we're dealing with?"

"Doctor, Stella, what do you know of the Weeping Angels?" River asked making the two grimace.

"I thought winning the bet would feel better than this." Stella grumbled sticking her hands into the pockets of her overalls.

-0-

Night had fallen and the rest of the troops have arrived with their supplies in a small drop ship, like a container unit and set up camp around it.

"The Angel, as far as we know, is still trapped in the ship. Our mission is to get inside and neutralize it." Octavian told them. "We can't get through up top, we'd be too close to the drives. According to this, behind the cliff face there's a network of catacombs leading right up to the temple. We can blow through the base of the cliffs, get into the entrance chamber, then make our way up."

"Oh, good." The Doctor said with a large smile.

"Good, sir?" Octavian asked in confusion.

"Catacombs. Probably dark ones. Dark catacombs. Great." The Doctor went on sarcastically.

"Technically, I think it's called a maze of the dead." Octavian said.

"You can stop any time you like." Stella said as she rubbed her temples.

"Father Octavian?" Someone called out.

"Excuse me, sir." Octavian said and shot a look of disdain at Stella who stuck her tongue out back at him.

"He doesn't seem to like you." Amy commented.

"Yeah, well the church and I are not exactly simpatico." Stella replied crossing her arms as the Doctor wrapped his arm around her holding her close. It had become known that the Doctor had taken her as his fiancé and that she had become part time lord allowing for her change in appearance. "You see I didn't agree with the military attitude they had taken on and spoke out against it freely, organized some sit ins, you know, that sort of thing. They didn't take to it to kindly and called me a heretic I believe, religious jerks."

"Ok." Amy nodded then looked to the Doctor. "You're letting people call you sir. You never do that. So, whatever a Weeping Angel is, it's really bad, yeah?"

"Now that's interesting. You're still here." The Doctor said looking to the red head. "Which part of wait in the Tardis till I tell you it's safe was so confusing?"

"Ooo, you are all Mister Grumpy Face today." Amy said with a fake pout.

"A Weeping Angel, Amy, is the deadliest, most powerful, most malevolent life form evolution has ever produced, and right now one of them is trapped inside that wreckage and I'm supposed to climb in after it with a screwdriver and a torch, and assuming I survive the radiation long enough and assuming the whole ship doesn't explode in my face, do something incredibly clever which I haven't actually thought of yet. That's my day. That's what I'm up to. Any questions?" The Doctor finished his rant with a dark look.

"Is River Song your wife? Because she's someone from your future, and the way she talks to you, I've never seen anyone do that. She's kind of like, you know, heel, boy. She's Mrs. Doctor from the future, isn't she? Is she going to be your wife one day?" Amy asked making Stella shoot her a sharp glare only softening when the Doctor rubbed her arm lovingly holding her close to his side. "No, you're right, that's rubbish, Stella would kill you." Amy said thoughtfully, but her next thought was almost as bad as the first. "Oh, maybe she's your future daughter! I can see that, the Doctor's smarts, but Stella's attitude, now there is a scary combination."

"Yes, you're right." The Doctor said surprising Amy as he pulled Stella closer wrapping his arm around her when he took note of the frown on her lips and the way she wrapped her arms defensively over her stomach. "I am definitely Mister Grumpy Face today."

"Doctor! Doctor?" River called from the drop module and had changed into combat fatigues.

"Oops. Her indoors." Amy said making a face.

"Stella, you to." River called out.

"Yes ma'am." Stella rolled her eyes.

"Father Octavian." River said.

"Why do they call him Father?" Amy asked.

"He's their Bishop, they're his Clerics. It's the fifty first Century." The Doctor replied as they walked over to the capsule, his arm remaining around Stella's shoulders as she wrapped hers around his waist. "The Church has moved on."

Everyone gathered around a grainy image of a Weeping Angel with its back towards them on a monitor on the far wall of the rounded capsule.

"What do you think? It's from the security cameras in the Byzantium vault. I ripped it when I was on board." River told them. "Sorry about the quality. It's four seconds. I've put it on loop."

"Yeah, it's an Angel." The Doctor said.

"Hands covering its face." Stella nodded.

"You've encountered the Angels before." Octavian looked between them.

"Once, on Earth, a long time ago. But those were scavengers, barely surviving." The Doctor said.

"I had hoped that we'd never have to see them again." Stella said biting her lip.

"But it's just a statue." Amy said in confusion.

"It's a statue when you see it." River explained.

"Where did it come from?" The Doctor asked.

"Oh, pulled from the ruins of Razbahan, end of last century. It's been in private hands ever since. Dormant all that time." River told them.

"There's a difference between dormant and patient." The Doctor said.

"What's that mean, it's a statue when you see it?" Amy asked.

"The Weeping Angels can only move if they're unseen. So legend has it." River said.

"No, it's not legend, it's a quantum lock. In the sight of any living creature the Angels literally cease to exist." The Doctor explained.

"They're just stone, the ultimate defense mechanism." Stella added.

"What, being a stone?" Amy asked.

"Being a stone until you turn your back." The Doctor with a dark look before they all stepped outside of the capsule. "The hyperdrive would've split on impact. That whole ship's going to be flooded with drive burn radiation, cracked electrons, gravity storms."

"Deadly to almost any living thing." Stella added.

"Deadly to an Angel?" Octavian asked.

"Dinner to an Angel. The longer we leave it there, the stronger it will grow. Who built that temple? Are they still around?" The Doctor asked.

"The Aplans. Indigenous life form." River replied. "They died out four hundred years ago."

"Two hundred years later, the planet was terraformed… currently there are six billion human colonists." Octavian said.

"Whoo! You lot, you're everywhere. You're like rabbits. I'll never get done saving you." The Doctor commented with an amused smile.

"Sir, if there is a clear and present danger to the local population…" Octavian started.

"Oh, there is. Bad as it gets. Bishop, lock and load." The Doctor cut him off.

"Verger, how are we doing with those explosives?" Octavian started to walk away. "Doctor Song, with me."

"Two minutes." River replied. "Sweetie, Honey, I need you."

"Sweetie?" The Doctor mouthed.

"It's better than Honey." Stella grumbled as they followed River.

"Anybody need me? Nobody?" Amy asked rhetorically then went back into the module.

"I found this. Definitive work on the Angels. Well, the only one. Written by a madman. It's barely readable, but I've marked a few passages." River said handing a diary over to Stella who started to scan through it.

Then she felt breath on the back of her neck as the Doctor circled his arms around her reading over her shoulder. Stella smiled leaning into him continuing on with her reading then when finished handed it back to the Doctor who snatched it quickly from her hand then rapidly flipped through it.

"Not bad for a mad man." Stella commented.

"Bit slow in the middle. Didn't you hate his girlfriend?" The Doctor asked.

"So much." Stella replied. "Whiney, I hate whiney."

"No. No, hang on. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait." The Doctor sniffed the book.

"Doctor Song? Did you have more than one clip of the Angel?" Amy called out from the module.

"No, just the four seconds." River replied not looking over to her.

"This book is wrong. What's wrong with this book? It's wrong." The Doctor said still looking over the book.

"It's so strange when you go all baby face. How early is this for you?" River asked.

"Very early." The Doctor replied.

"So you don't know who I am yet?" River asked.

"How do you know who I am?" The Doctor asked. "I don't always look the same."

"I've got pictures of all your faces, Stella's as well. You two never show up in the right order, though. I need the spotter's guide." River replied easily.

"Pictures!" The Doctor and Stella said in realization at the same time.

"Why aren't there pictures?" The Doctor asked.

"This whole book, it's a warning about the Weeping Angels, so why no pictures?" Stella questioned.

"Why not show us what to look out for?" The Doctor asked.

"There was a bit about images. What was that?" River asked.

"Yes. Hang on." The Doctor started to read. "That which holds the image of an angel becomes itself an angel."

"What does that mean? An image of an Angel becomes itself an Angel." River said.

"Oh no, the video." Stella said her head snapping to the module.

"Amy!" The Doctor said as they all ran to the drop ship.

"Doctor!" Amy yelled as they tried to get into the module. "Stella!"

"Are you all right? What's happening?" The Doctor questioned.

"Doctor? Stella? It's coming out of the television." Amy called out. "The Angel is here."

"Don't take your eyes off it. Keep looking. It can't move if you're looking." The Doctor said as he soniced the keypad on the side of the door.

"What's wrong?" River asked.

"Deadlocked." The Doctor replied.

"There is no deadlock." River said.

"Don't blink, Amy. Don't even blink." Stella called through the door.

"Doctor." Amy called out.

"What are you doing?" River asked the Doctor as he worked.

"Cutting the power. It's using the screen, I'm turning the screen off." The Doctor replied. "No good, it's deadlocked the whole system."

"There's no deadlock." River argued.

"There is now." The Doctor and Stella snapped.

"Help me!" Amy called out.

"Can you turn it off?" The Doctor asked.

"Doctor." Amy said. "Stella."

"The screen. Can you turn it off?" Stella questioned.

"I tried." Amy replied.

"Try again, but don't take your eyes off the Angel." The Doctor ordered.

"I'm not." Amy said.

"Each time it moves, it'll move faster. Don't even blink." Stella called into the module as River was trying to cut through the door with her pistol torch.

"I'm not blinking. Have you ever tried not blinking?" Amy snapped.

"Yes and its very annoying I know, but you have to try." Stella replied.

"It just keeps switching back on." Amy said.

"Yeah, it's the Angel." The Doctor said.

"But it's just a recording." Amy argued.

"No, anything that takes the image of an Angel is an Angel." The Doctor said then looked to River. "What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to cut through. It's not even warm." River snapped.

"There is no way in. It's not physically possible." The Doctor started to panic then her turned to Stella. "Can you force it open?"

"I can try." Stella said as she rammed her hands into the crevice between the door and capsule straining to get it to budge, but nothing happened and she was forced to give up. She beat her fist against the door over and over again as hard as she could only making a shallow dent. "It's made to strong."

"Doctor, Stella, what's it going to do to me?" Amy asked fearfully.

"Just keep looking at it. Don't stop looking." The Doctor said.

"Just tell me." Amy snapped as the Doctor runs and gets the book. "Tell me. Tell me!"

"Amy, not the eyes." The Doctor said as he ran back over. "Look at the Angel but don't look at the eyes."

"Why?" Amy asked.

"What is it?" Stella asked the Doctor.

"The eyes are not the windows of the soul. They are the doors. Beware what may enter there." The Doctor read.

"Doctor, what did you say?" Amy asked.

"Don't look at the eyes!" The Doctor replied.

"No, about images. What did you say about images?" Amy asked.

"Whatever holds the image of an Angel, is an Angel." River replied then suddenly the door opened allowing the Doctor Stella and River burst in as the monitor turned off.

"I froze it. There was a sort of blip on the tape and I froze it on the blip. It wasn't the image of an Angel any more. That was good, yeah? It was, wasn't it? That was pretty good." Amy smiled both in relief and proud of herself.

"That was amazing." River praised.

"That was genius, that's what that was." Stella complimented patting Amy on the back as she ran over to help the Doctor with the monitor.

"River, hug Amy." The Doctor ordered.

"Why?" Amy asked

"Because we're busy." Stella replied, her fingers humming as they glowed.

"I'm fine." Amy waved him off.

"You're brilliant." River said hugging her.

"Thanks. Yeah, I kind of creamed it, didn't I?" Amy said proudly.

"So it was here? That was the Angel?" River asked.

"Not really." Stella said looking over the wires.

"That was a projection of the Angel. It's reaching out, getting a good look at us. It's no longer dormant." The Doctor said then there was an explosion outside sending slight tremors through the ground.

"Last one positive." A Cleric said.

"Doctor? We're through." Octavian called out.

"Okay, now it starts." The Doctor said as he walked out of the module.

"Because that wasn't foreboding at all." Stella said sarcastically as she followed the Doctor taking her hand in his kissing the top of her head. They all went over to the over to the whole the clerics had blown into the rock face that would allow them into the temple. A rope ladder was lowered down allowing them to descend down into a very large underground space carved from the dark stone.

"Do we have a gravity globe?" The Doctor asked.

"Grav globe." Octavian ordered and a Cleric hands a globe to the Doctor.

"Where are we? What is this?" Amy asked as she looked around.

"It's an Aplan Mortarium, sometimes called a Maze of the Dead." River answered.

"What's that?" Amy asked.

"Well, if you happen to be a creature of living stone…" The Doctor kicked the globe into the air, where it illuminated a vast array of mausoleums and statuary.

"The perfect hiding place." Stella finished.

"I guess this makes it a bit trickier." Octavian said.

"A bit, yeah." The Doctor replied.

"A stone Angel on the loose amongst stone statues. A lot harder than I'd prayed for." Octavian said as the continued to look around.

"Why would you pray for it to be harder? Who in their right mind does something like that?" Stella asked giving him a look, but was ignored.

"A needle in a haystack." River said.

"A needle that looks like hay. A hay-like needle of death. A hay-alike needle of death in a haystack of, er, statues." The Doctor's sentence fell apart as everyone gave him strange looks. "No, yours was fine."

"Right." Octavian said turning back to the others. "Check every single statue in this chamber. You know what you're looking for. Complete visual inspection." He looked to the Doctor again. "One question, how do we fight it?"

"We find it, and hope." The Doctor replied as they walked on.

-0-

The Doctor Stella and Amy started up the terraces, but Amy paused to rub her eye, and stone dust falling out between her fingers. She took her hand from her eye looking at it in puzzlement with a slight tinge of fear.

"You all right?" River asked as she walked up to her.

"Yeah, I'm fine. So, what's a Maze of the Dead?" Amy asked as she quickly lowered her hand.

"Oh, it's not as bad as it sounds. It's just a labyrinth with dead people buried in the walls." River said and heard Stella scoff making her grin shooting the cyborg a wink. "Okay, that was fairly bad." River raised up a gun like medical device. "Right give me your arm. This won't hurt a bit."

River injected Amy in the arm quickly causing Amy to jolt painfully as she pulled her arm away from River's with a sharp look.

"Ow!" Amy yelped.

"There, you see. I lied. It's a viro-stabiliser, stabilizes your metabolism against radiation, drive burn, anything. You're going to need it when we get up to that ship." River said with a happy smile.

"So what's he like? In the future, I mean. Because you know him in the future, don't you?" Amy asked as she rubbed her arm.

"The Doctor? Well, the Doctor's the Doctor." River replied.

"Oh. Well, that's very helpful. Mind if I write that down?" Amy asked sarcastically.

"Yes, we are." River said looking to the Doctor who was up ahead of them with Stella.

"Sorry, what?" The Doctor replied.

"Talking about you." River said.

"I wasn't listening. I'm busy." The Doctor replied.

"The other way up." River said as Stella turned the device he was over to he was holding it the right way.

"Yeah." The Doctor's ears turned red.

"You're so his wife…or their daughter." Amy said.

"Oh, Amy, Amy, Amy. This is the Doctor we're talking about. Do you really think it could be anything that simple?" River questioned with a patronizing look.

"Yep." Amy nodded.

"You're good. I'm not saying you're right, but you are very good." River laughed.

"Hey River, why don't you ever talk about me so I can pretend to not listen?" Stella questioned with a fake pout as she looked over her readings which were displayed on her eyes for her to read.

"Next time, now come here for your injection." River motioned her over.

"I don't need that." Stella waved her off.

"Stella." River said in a warning tone.

"I don't wanna." Stella grumbled petulantly.

"Don't make me come over there." River pressed.

"Fine." Stella said as she reluctantly walked over and got her injection.

"You didn't even flinch, why all the fuss?" Amy asked still rubbing her own arm.

"I just hate the feeling." Stella said rubbing her arm with a glare at River who just smiled back before forcing the Doctor to take the shot as well.

"Come on Stella." Amy said as she wondered over to the cyborg. "You can tell me, is she like your daughter or something?"

"Amy, I can safely assure you that River Song is not my daughter so could you stop bringing it up please." Stella said with a bit of bite making Amy flinch back.

"Sorry." Amy mumbled and Stella let out a sigh.

"No, it's not your fault and I'm sorry for snapping." Stella mumbled before taking in a deep breath. "Amy, I can't have kids. When I was taken and turned into this they took that ability away from me, so you see, there's no way that she could be my child."

"Oh, Stella, I'm so sorry." Amy said with a wince as she thought back to all of her earlier words.

"It's ok, you didn't know." Stella waved her off then suddenly gunfire erupted.

"Stella! Amy!" The Doctor called out as he and River ran back to them checking them over.

"We're fine, it came from the Clerics back down the tunnel." Stella said before they ran back to the main group where a young Cleric had shot up a statue.

"Sorry, sorry. I thought. I thought it looked at me." Bob said shakily.

"We know what the Angel looks like. Is that the Angel?" Octavian snapped.

"No, sir." Bob answered looking ashamed.

"No, sir, it is not. According to the Doctor, we are facing an enemy of unknowable power and infinite evil, so it would be good, it would be very good, if we could all remain calm in the presence of decor." Octavian ground out.

"Just back off him choir boy, we're all jumpy as heck and snapping at each other will not help anyone's mood." Stella glared at Octavian who glared back at her before turning back to his other men.

"What's your name?" The Doctor asked the young cleric, taking Stella's hand in his keeping her close.

"Bob, sir." Bob answered nervously.

"Ah, that's a great name. I love Bob." The Doctor smiled as he slung his arm around him.

"It's a Sacred Name. We all have Sacred Names." Bob told him. "They're given to us in the service of the Church."

"Sacred Bob." The Doctor mused. "More like Scared Bob now, eh?"

"Yes, sir." Bob nodded sending a nervous glance to Octavian.

"Ah, good. Scared keeps you fast." The Doctor said as he looked around at everyone present. "Anyone in this room who isn't scared is a moron." He looked pointedly at Octavian. "Carry on."

"We'll be moving into the maze in two minutes. You stay with Christian and Angelo. Guard the approach." Octavian ordered Bob as they went on.

"Isn't there a chance this lot's just going to collapse? There's a whole ship up there." Amy pointed out.

"Incredible builders, the Aplans." River commented.

"And boy did they know how to throw a party." Stella said with a wistful smile as she started to dance in a swirling motion.

"Had dinner with their Chief Architect once." The Doctor commented taking Stella's hand and spinning her around.

"Which one?" Stella asked, the Doctor dipping her.

"Caldurnon-et-Dalcurnon." The Doctor answered and Stella nodded.

"Nice guys." Stella said as the Doctor brought her back up.

"Yeah, two heads are better than one." The Doctor said kissing Stella on the forehead.

"What, you mean you helped him?" Amy asked.

"No, I mean he had two heads." The Doctor said then looked thoughtful. "That book, the very end, what did it say?"

"Hang on." River said as she dug it out of her pack.

"Read it to me." The Doctor said swinging his hand which was threaded with Stella's back and forth as they walked along.

"What if we had ideas that could think for themselves? What if one day our dreams no longer needed us? When these things occur and are held to be true, the time will be upon us. The time of Angels." River read leaving behind an ominous feeling that their continued surroundings did not improve.

"Are we there yet? It's a hell of a climb." Amy said as they climbed toward the ship.

"The Maze is on six levels, representing the ascent of the soul." River told her.

"Don't worry, only two levels to go." Stella added.

"Lovely species, the Aplans. We should visit them some time." The Doctor said.

"I thought they were all dead?" Amy said in confusion.

"So is Virginia Woolf. I'm on her bowling team." The Doctor said smugly. "Very relaxed, sort of cheerful. Well, that's having two heads, of course. You're never short of a snog with an extra head."

"Doctor, there's something… I don't know what it is…" River said feeling uncertain.

"Yeah, there's something wrong. Don't know what it is yet, either. Working on it." The Doctor said before going on with his story. "Of course, then they started having laws against self-marrying. I mean, what was that about? But that's the Church for you… Er, no offence, Bishop."

"Quite a lot taken, if that's all right, Doctor." Octavian replied with an annoyed look. "Lowest point in the wreckage is only about fifty feet up from here. That way."

"The Church had a point, if you think about it. The divorces must have been messy." Amy commented.

"Hey love, I just had a funny thought." Stella said as she eyed a nearby statue.

"What's that?" The Doctor asked.

"The Alpans had two heads…why do the statues her only have one?" Stella said nervously.

"Oh." The Doctor suddenly said grabbing Stella and pulling her close.

"What's wrong?" Amy asked seeing the panicked looks on Stella, River, and the Doctor's face.

"Oh." River echoed.

"This is so not good." Stella shook her head.

"Exactly." The Doctor nodded.

"How could we have not noticed that?" River asked.

"Low level perception filter, or maybe we're thick." The Doctor replied.

"What's wrong, sir?" Octavian demanded.

"Nobody move. Nobody move. Everyone stay exactly where they are." The Doctor ordered. "Bishop, I am truly sorry. I've made a mistake and we are all in terrible danger."

"What danger?" Octavian snapped.

"The Aplans." The Doctor replied.

"The Aplans?" Octavian echoed.

"They've got two heads." River said.

"Yes, I get that. So?" Octavian was still in the dark.

"So like Stella asked, why don't the statues?" The Doctor replied making everyone go tense. "Everyone, over there. Just move. Don't ask questions, don't speak." Everyone moved into an alcove away from the statues back to back. "Okay, I want you all to switch off your torches."

"Sir?" Marco said uncertainly.

"Just do it." Stella ordered.

"Okay. I'm going to turn off this one too, just for a moment." The Doctor said as he took Stella's hand in his holding it tightly.

"Are you sure about this?" River asked.

"No." The Doctor replied then the light went out then back in an instant.

"Oh, my God. They've moved." Amy yelped, all of the statues having moved much closer. The Doctor ran down the passage with Stella in tow followed by the others, and it is filled statues coming towards them.

"They're Angels. All of them." Stella said in shock.

"But they can't be." River denied.

"Clerics, keep watching them." The Doctor and Stella ran back to a vantage point of the main cavern to see that all of the statues were climbing up towards them. "Every statue in this Maze, every single one, is a Weeping Angel."

"They're coming after us." Stella breathed out.

"But there was only one Angel on the ship." River told them in a panic. "Just the one, I swear."

"Could they have been here already?" Amy asked.

"The Aplans. What happened? How did they die out?" The Doctor questioned.

"Nobody knows." River replied.

"We know." Stella replied.

"They don't look like Angels." Octavian commented.

"And they're not fast. You said they were fast. They should have had us by now." Amy pointed out.

"Look at them. They're dying, losing their form." The Doctor said. "They must have been down here for centuries, starving."

"Losing their image?" Amy questioned.

"And their image is their power." Stella pointed out.

"Power. Power!" The Doctor said in realization.

"Doctor?" Amy looked to him along with the others.

"Don't you see? All that radiation spilling out the drive burn. The crash of the Byzantium wasn't an accident, it was a rescue mission for the Angels." The Doctor told them all.

"You mean we're in the middle of an army, and it's waking up." Stella said slowly as she pulled Amy close.

"Exactly." The Doctor nodded.

"We need to get out of here fast." River said.

"Bob, Angelo, Christian, come in, please. Any of you, come in." Octavian used his comm.

"It's Bob, sir. Sorry, sir." The voice of Bob replied.

"Bob, are Angelo and Christian with you? All the statues are active. I repeat, all the statues are active." Octavian ordered.

"I know, sir. Angelo and Christian are dead, sir. The statues killed them, sir." 'Bob' replied right before the Doctor grabbed Octavian's walkie-talkie.

"Bob, Sacred Bob, it's me, the Doctor." The Doctor called out.

"I'm talking to…" Octavian tried, but the Doctor ignored him waving him off.

"Where are you now?" The Doctor asked.

"I'm talking to my…" Octavian tried again.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, shut up." The Doctor snapped at him.

"I'm on my way up to you, sir. I'm homing in on your signal." 'Bob' replied.

"Ah, well done, Bob. Scared keeps you fast. Told you, didn't I." The Doctor smiled then Stella took the talkie.

"Hey Bob, about your friends, what did the Angel do to them?" Stella asked, a nagging feeling bothering her.

"Snapped their necks, ma'am." 'Bob' replied.

"That's odd. That's not how the Angels kill you. They displace you in time." The Doctor said, his brows furrowed.

"Unless they needed the bodies for something." Stella pointed out.

"Bob, did you check their data packs for vital signs? We may be able to initiate a rescue plan." Octavian said taking the comm from Stella.

"Oh, don't be an idiot. The Angels don't leave you alive. Bob, keep running." The Doctor ordered taking the comm only for Stella to snatch it again.

"But tell me real quick, how did you escape?" Stella asked.

"I didn't escape, ma'am. The Angel killed me, too." 'Bob' replied and everyone felt dread seep into them.

"What do you mean, the Angel killed you?" The Doctor asked.

"Snapped my neck, sir. Wasn't as painless as I expected, but it was pretty quick, so that was something." 'Bob' told him.

"If you're dead, how can we be talking to you?" The Doctor asked.

"You're not talking to me, sir. The Angel has no voice. It stripped my cerebral cortex from my body and re-animated a version of my consciousness to communicate with you." 'Bob' told them. "Sorry about the confusion."

"So when you say you're on your way up to us…" Stella trailed off.

"It's the Angel that's coming, ma'am, yes. No way out." 'Bob' said.

"Then we get out through the wreckage. Go! Go, go, go. All of you run." Octavian ordered.

"Doctor. Stella." Amy called out.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, we're coming. Just go. Go, go, go. Yeah" The Doctor waved them on.

"We'll be right behind you, now go." Stella urged Amy after the others, Octavian lingering as Amy nodded running after the others. The Doctor wrapped his arm around Stella holding her close as he looked to Octavian.

"Called you an idiot. Sorry, but there's no way we could have rescued your men." The Doctor apologized sincerely.

"I know that, sir. And when you've flown away in your little blue box, I'll explain that to their families." Octavian replied bitingly causing the Doctor's face to fall as his eyes filled with guilt. Stella grit her teeth so hard that it hurt as her anger spiked sharply and she reached into her pocket pulling out a sucker.

"Hey Octavian, hold this." Stella said as she jammed the sucker into his mouth which would stuck in there forcing Octavian's mouth to stay closed no matter how much he struggled with it. "Much better, now that's going to stay in there keeping your mouth shut until I've said my piece so let's get something straight." Stella's eye narrowed glaring heatedly into Octavian's eyes. She grabbed the sucker pulling down so that Octavian was forced to lean down so they were eye to eye. "Don't you dare try to pass off the guilt your feeling on losing the men under your command to my Doctor." Stella spat as she poked him in the chest with her free hand. "You're in the army, lives get lost, and if you can't handle that then you shouldn't be in command, they more than knew what they were getting into when they joined. So let's get this straight, you even try to lay this on my Doctor and I will ruin you." Octavian glared down at Stella who didn't back down, her gaze unwavering and more penetrating than the father would have liked to admit. "Got it?" Octavian nodded before Stella yanked the lollipop out leaving behind a pungent taste in the father mouth. "Good. The taste should wear off…I think."

Octavian glared sourly as he turned away from her trying not to show how bad the taste was and followed after the others. The Doctor wrapped his arms around Stella lovingly as he pulled her close with a smile.

"You're always watching out for me." The Doctor mumbled kissing the top of her head.

"Just as much as you watch out for me." Stella replied with a smile pecking him on the lips as she took the walkie. "Angel Bob, quick question, which Angel are we talking to? The one from the ship?"

"Yes, ma'am. And the other Angels are still restoring." 'Bob' told them.

"Ah, so the Angel is not in the wreckage. Thank you." Stella grinned winking up at the Doctor.

"Oh good one love." The Doctor praised as he pulled her down tunnel after the others almost passing Amy in their hasted to get away.

"Don't wait for us. Go, run." The Doctor urged.

"I can't. No, really, I can't." Amy replied fearfully causing them to stop in their tracks and double back to the Scottish red head.

"Why not?" Stella asked her in concern.

"Look at it. Look at my hand. It's stone." Amy replied and the two travelers gazed down at her hand.

"You looked into the eyes of an Angel, didn't you?" The Doctor accused.

"I couldn't stop myself. I tried." Amy replied.

"Listen to me. It's messing with your head. Your hand is not made of stone." Stella said taking hold of Amy's shoulder.

"It is. Look at it." Amy argued.

"It's in your mind, I promise you. You can move that hand. You can let go." The Doctor tried.

"I can't, okay? I've tried and I can't. It's stone." Amy snapped in fear and anger.

"The Angel is going to come and it's going to turn this light off, and then there's nothing we can do to stop it, so do it. Concentrate. Move your hand." The Doctor ordered.

"I can't." Amy roared.

"Then we're all going to die." Stella nearly yelled.

"You're not going to die, neither of you." Amy looked between the time travelers.

"They'll kill the lights." The Doctor said.

"You've got to go. You know you both have. You've got all that stuff with River and that's all got to happen. You know neither of you can't die here." Amy argued.

"Time can be re-written. It doesn't work like that." The Doctor told her.

"Doctor, they're here." Stella said taking note of the advancing statues.

"Keep your eyes on it. Don't blink." The Doctor ordered.

"Run!" Amy said.

"You see, we're not going. We're not leaving you here." Stella snapped as she kept her eyes on the statues.

"I don't need you to die for me, Doctor. Do I look that clingy?" Amy asked sarcastically.

"You can move your hand." The Doctor snapped.

"It's stone." Amy snapped back.

"It's not stone." Stella ground out.

"You've got to go. Those people up there will die without you. If you stay here with me, you'll have as good as killed them." Amy used her best argument, playing off their need to save people.

"Amy Pond, you are magnificent, and I'm sorry." The Doctor said.

"It's okay. I understand. You've got to leave me." Amy nodded both relieved and fearful that the Doctor had agreed…or so she thought.

"Oh, no, I'm not leaving you, never. I'm sorry about this." The Doctor leaned down taking her hand and biting down on it hard.

"Ow!" Amy yelped.

"See? Not stone. Now run." The Doctor started to push her down the tunnel.

"You bit me." Amy complained.

"Yeah, and you're alive." Stella pointed out.

"Look, I've got a mark. Look at my hand." Amy whined as Stella grabbed hold of her pulling her back from the angels.

"Yes, and you're alive. Did I mention?" The Doctor said.

"Blimey, your teeth. Have you got space teeth?" Amy went on.

"Yeah. Alive. All I'm saying." The Doctor said as they took off running down the tunnel toward the others.

-0-

River and the clerics arrived at the top of the temple starring up at the crashed ship hanging over head, supported by crumbling rocks and the sounds of creaking metal feeling the air.

"Well. There it is, the Byzantium." Octavian said looking up.

"It's got to be thirty feet." River said. "How do we get up there?"

"Check all these exits. I want them all secure." Octavian ordered as his clerics got into position.

"The statues are advancing along all corridors." Marco said as he as well as his fellow clerics trained their guns on the tunnels. "And, sir, my torch keeps flickering."

"They all do." Octavian replied glancing at the flickering flashlights.

"So does the gravity globe." River said eyeing the glowing orb.

"Clerics, we're down to four men. Expect incoming." Octavian ordered as the Doctor, Stella, and Amy ran into the room.

"Yeah, it's the Angels. They're coming. And they're draining the power for themselves." The Doctor said in a rush.

"Which means we won't be able to see them." Octavian said.

"Which means we can't stay here." Stella said bouncing on her toes.

"Two more incoming." Octavian said as the angels closed in.

"Any suggestions?" River asked.

"The statues are advancing on all sides. We don't have the climbing equipment to reach the Byzantium." Octavian said, everyone on high alert.

"There's no way up, no way back, no way out." River pointed out looking to Stella and the Doctor. "No pressure, but this is usually when you two have a really good idea."

"There's always a way out." The Doctor said and his words echoed through the large room. "There's always a way out."

"Doctor? Stella? Can I speak to the Doctor or Stella, please?" 'Bob' called out through the walkie talkie.

"Hello, Angels. What's your problem?" The Doctor asked into the talkie.

"Your power will not last much longer, and the Angels will be with you shortly. Sorry, sir, ma'am." 'Bob' apologized.

"Why are you telling us this?" Stella asked.

"There's something the Angels are very keen you should both know before the end." 'Bob' told them.

"Which is?" The Doctor asked.

"I died in fear." 'Bob' replied and without thought the Doctor and Stella reached out to each other lacing their hands together.

"I'm sorry?" The Doctor said tensely.

"You told me my fear would keep me alive, but I died afraid, in pain and alone. You made me trust you, and when it mattered, you let me down." 'Bob' told them.

"What are they doing?" Amy asked River.

"They're trying to make them angry." River replied.

"I'm sorry, sir, ma'am. The Angels were very keen for you to know that." 'Bob' apologized once again.

"Well then, the Angels have made their second mistake because I'm not going to let that pass." The Doctor ground out pulling Stella close to his side. "I'm sorry you're dead, Bob, but I swear to whatever is left of you, they will be sorrier."

"But you're trapped, sir, and about to die." 'Bob' said.

"Yeah. I'm trapped. And you know what? Speaking of traps, this trap has got a great big mistake in it. A great big, whopping mistake." The Doctor started to pace, Stella keeping up with him also agitated.

"What mistake, sir?" 'Bob' asked.

"Trust me." The Doctor turned to Amy.

"Yeah." Amy nodded.

"Trust me?" The Doctor turned to River.

"Always." River replied.

"You lot, trust me?" The Doctor turned to the clerics.

"Sir, two more incoming." Marco called out.

"We have faith, sir." Octavian nodded, the Doctor returning the nod before looking to Stella.

"Do I have to ask?" The Doctor looked down at her lovingly.

"Never." Stella smiled up at him with complete trust.

"Then give me your gun." The Doctor held out his hand to Octavian who did so. "I'm about to do something incredibly stupid and dangerous. When I do, jump!"

"Jump where?" Octavian asked.

"Just jump, high as you can." The Doctor jumped a bit. "Come on, leap of faith, Bishop. On my signal."

"What signal?" Octavian asked.

"You won't miss it." The Doctor told him.

"Sorry, can I ask again? You mentioned a mistake we made." 'Bob' asked as the Doctor pointed the gun at the hull of the Byzantium.

"Oh, big mistake. Huge. Didn't anyone ever tell you there's one thing you never put in a trap? If you're smart, if you value your continued existence, if you have any plans about seeing tomorrow, there are two things you never, ever put in a trap." The Doctor said as he held Stella's hand in his free on, their gazes locked as he held the gun pointing straight up.

"And what would that be, sir?" 'Bob' asked.

"Us." Stella replied right before the Doctor shot the orb at the top of the Byzantium.


	5. Chapter 5

Stella groaned as she came to starring up at the ground having landed on her back. She let out an annoyed sigh while the others came to around her, the Doctor rushing over and offering her a hand which she took allowing him to pull her up.

"You ok?" He questioned as he looked her over.

"Fine, I just think I jumped too hard then landed too hard." Stella waved him off. "But I think the rest of our group is confused as to our where abouts."

"I think you may be right." The Doctor said excitedly as everyone struggled to their feet on an artificial surface looking around themselves in confusion. "Up. Look up."

"Are you okay?" River questioned the red head.

"What happened?" Amy asked looking around herself.

"We jumped." Stella stretched her back, popping it back into place with a sigh.

"Jumped where?" Amy asked as the lights flickered around them.

"Up. Up. Look up." The Doctor gestured up to the ground.

"Where are we?" Amy kept questioning in shock.

"Exactly where we were." River replied.

"No we're not." Amy shook her head.

"Are to." Stella said in a sing song voice as the Doctor ran by Amy.

"Move your feet." The Doctor soniced a circular hatch in the floor, with six inset lights around it.

"Doctor, Stella, what am I looking at?" Amy looked up at the ground wide eyed. "Explain."

"Oh, come on, Amy, think. The ship crashed with the power still on, yeah? So what else is still on?" The Doctor questioned her rhetorically as he stood back up beside her.

"Basically you are standing upside down on the hull of the Byzantium." Stella clarified for her as she wrapped her arm around the Scottish girls shoulder.

"The artificial gravity. One good jump, and up we fell." The Doctor jumped as he explained. "Shot out the grav globe to give us an updraft, and here we are."

"Doctor, Stella, the statues. They look more like Angels now." Octavian informed them, everyone looking up at the angels reaching for them, wings half formed. The Doctor ducked back down to the circular opening, his sonic humming along.

"They're feeding on the radiation from the wreckage, draining all the power from the ship, restoring themselves. Within an hour, they'll be an army." The Doctor opened the circular hatch and a light went bang sparks flying out of it.

"They're taking out the lights. Look at them. Look at the Angels." Stella ordered as the Doctor got the hatch open.

"Into the ship, now. Quickly, all of you." The Doctor urged them.

"How?" Amy asked and the Doctor dropped through the open hatch into a circular corridor followed by Stella.

"Stella! Doctor!" From Amy's point of view, they were standing on the side of a vertical tube.

"It's just a corridor. The gravity orientates to the floor." The Doctor demonstrated with his sonic as Stella ran over to a control panel on the other side of the corridor. "Now, in here, all of you. Don't take your eyes off the Angels. Move, move, move."

"Okay, men. Go, go, go!" Octavian called out and they rushed inside. "The Angels. Presumably they can jump up too?"

"They're here, now. In the dark, we're finished." The Doctor said as they closed the hatch behind them then the bulkhead further along the corridor started to close.

"Doctor, the door!" Stella yelled as a buzzer sounded and the door at the other end of the corridor started to close.

"Run!" The Doctor ordered as they ran for it.

"This whole place is a death trap." Octavian ground out when they didn't make it, the door shutting in their faces.

"No, it's a time bomb. Well, it's a death trap and a time bomb. And now it's a dead end. Nobody panic." The Doctor rambled on hurriedly, and then noticed that the others were much more composed than he at the moment despite the door they had come through starting to spark. "Oh, just me then."

"What's through here?" Stella looked to River as she pointed to the door.

"Secondary flight deck." River responded.

"Okay. so we've basically run up the inside of a chimney, yeah? So what if the gravity fails?" Amy questioned as the Doctor looked over the door and Stella opened the control panel.

"I've thought about that." The Doctor replied.

"And?" Amy prompted.

"And we'll all plunge to our deaths. See? I've thought about it." The Doctor said quickly. "The security protocols are still live. There's no way to override them. It's impossible."

"How impossible?" River asked.

"Two minutes." The Doctor said.

"Bet you I can do it in less." Stella grinned as she worked the console, her fingers glowing.

"You're on." The Doctor grinned back right before the outer hatch was opened.

"The hull is breached and the power's failing." Octavian called out as the lights went out then came back on. An arm was silhouetted against the open hatch now.

"Sir, incoming."

"I like to call it motivation." Stella said.

"Doctor? Stella. Lights." Amy said as the Angel was starting to enter. Another flicker, and four were inside and the hatch was closed behind them.

"Clerics, keep watching them." Octavian ordered.

"And don't look at their eyes. Anywhere else. Not the eyes." The Doctor cautioned them.

"I've isolated the lighting grid. They can't drain the power now." Stella informed them.

"Good work." Octavian said.

"Thank…you?" Stella replied in surprise.

"Yes. Good, good, good. Good in many ways." The Doctor said moving over to the door console opposite the light console. "Good you like it so far."

"So far?" Amy asked as Stella closed the light console and went over to help the Doctor.

"Well, there's only one way to open this door." The Doctor said. "I guess we'll need to route all the power in this section through the door control."

"Good. Fine. Do it." Octavian ordered.

"Including the lights. All of them. We'll need to turn out the lights." The Doctor said as he walked forward between the Clerics.

"How long for?" Octavian asked in a tight voice.

"Fraction of a second. Maybe longer. Maybe quite a bit longer." The Doctor replied pacing back and forth a bit.

"Maybe?" Octavian echoed.

"We're guessing. We're being attacked by statues in a crashed ship. There isn't a manual for this." The Doctor rambled on as he returned to Stella who was still at the door controls.

"If there was the Doctor would have already tossed it out." Stella smarted off.

"I only did that once." The Doctor pouted.

"Yeah, but do you remember what it was for? Out of all of the manuals you picked that one." Stella rolled her eyes.

"Well it was wrong so I was well within my rights!" The Doctor defended himself.

"Doctor, Stella, we lost the torches. We'll be in total darkness." Amy said interrupting them.

"No other way." The Doctor replied looking to Octavian. "Bishop."

"Doctor Song, I've lost good Clerics today. You trust this man and woman?" Octavian questioned River as he turned to her.

"I absolutely trust them." River nodded, eyes wide.

"They're not some kind of mad people, then?" Octavian pressed.

"I absolutely trust her." River nodded as Stella grinned, the Doctor pouting.

"Excuse me." The Doctor said as Octavian took River aside.

"I'm taking your word, because you're the only one who can manage them. But that only works so long as they don't know who you are. You cost me any more men, and I might just tell them. Understood?" Octavian said with a dark look, unaware of Stella's hearing abilities.

"Understood." River nodded tightly. Stella's brows furrowed in worry and annoyance. Octavian had been on River's case the whole time, never letting up, and now this. What were they hiding that had to do with her and the Doctor?

"Okay, Doctor, Stella. We've got your backs." Octavian gave them the do ahead.

"Bless you Bishop." The Doctor and Stella got back to work taking wires out of the control box and attaching them to the large door.

"Combat distance, ten feet. As soon as the lights go down, continuous fire. Full spread over the hostiles. Do not stop firing while the lights are out. Shot gun protocol. We don't have bullets to waste." Octavian ordered his men.

"Amy, when the lights go down, the wheel should release. Spin it clockwise four turns." The Doctor told the red headed scott.

"Ten." Amy nodded.

"No, four. Four turns." Stella corrected her.

"Yeah, four. I heard." Amy replied.

"Ready!" The Doctor called out and plunged his sonic screwdriver into a control unit.

"On my count, then. God be with us all. Three, two, one, fire!" The lights went out, the Clerics started shooting at the approaching Angels.

"Turn!" The Doctor called out.

"Doctor, Stella, it's opening. It's working." Amy called out as she turned just getting the bulkhead open enough to squeeze through.

"Fall back!" Stella ordered sharply as River, Amy, and the clerics rushed through Stella and the Doctor following them past the bulkhead which clanged shut again behind them. They ran along a short into secondary flight deck, Stella grabbing the Doctor's hand pulling him as she increased her speed.

"Whoah." The Doctor yelped nearly tripping as he was dragged along.

"Sorry love." Stella called back, but not slowing up.

"Doctor, Stella, quickly." River called out.

"Doctor! Stella!" Amy said just as the Doctor and Stella dodged inside at the last second, as the door closed, and they ran to the controls while the Angels thumped on the door and the wheel started turning. "Doctor! Stella!" Amy noticed Octavian near the door. "What are you doing?"

"Magnetized the door. Nothing could turn that wheel now." Octavian placed a device on the door and the wheel stopped turning.

"Yeah?" Stella raised any eyebrow as the wheel started to turn again.

"Dear God!" Octavian breathed out.

"Ah, now you're getting it. You've bought us time though. That's good. I am good with time." The Doctor rambled as he worked.

"Doctor. Stella." Amy tried again, but then the wheel on a second door to the right of the main one started to turn.

"Seal that door. Seal it now." Octavian ordered and was obeyed right away, a cleric darting over to the door.

"We're surrounded." River gasped as the wheel on the door to the left started to turn.

"Seal it. Seal that door." Octavian ordered loudly. "Doctor, how long have we got?"

"Five minutes, max." The Doctor replied as he started to type on the console looking to the screen, Amy next to him while River and Stella worked on other parts of the wrecked console.

"Nine." Amy said.

"Five." Stella corrected her.

"Five. Right. Yeah." Amy nodded, giving Stella a confused look one that mirrored Stella's own confused look.

"Why'd you say nine?" The Doctor asked.

"I didn't." Amy denied.

"We need another way out of here." River said.

"There isn't one." Octavian said.

"Yeah, there is. Course there is. This is a galaxy class ship." The Doctor told them as he moved away from the console. "Goes for years between planet falls. So, what do they need?"

"Of course." River said in realization as the Doctor snapped his fingers pointing to her.

"Exactly." Stella grinned.

"Of course what? What do they need?" Amy questioned.

"Can we get in there?" Octavian asked.

"Well, it's a sealed unit, but they must have installed it somehow." The Doctor said as he looked over the door that made up a whole wall then moved aside some boxes that were against it. "This whole wall should slide up."

"There's clamps." Stella pointed out. "Release the clamps."

"What's through there? What do they need?" Amy asked as the Doctor and Stella soniced the clamps.

"They need to breathe." River said as the rear wall of the flight deck slid up to reveal a massive humid rainforest.

"But that's….That's a…." Amy's mouth hung open as she walked closer.

"It's an oxygen factory." River nodded.

"It's a forest." Amy said.

"Yeah, it's a forest. It's an oxygen factory." Rive grinned.

"And if we're lucky, an escape route." Stella pointed out as Amy laughed in amazement.

"Eight." Amy said.

"What did you say?" River asked.

"Nothing." Amy said, the Doctor and Stella sharing a quick concerned look before pressing on.

"Is there another exit? Scan the architecture; we don't have time to get lost in there." Stella called out looking to the clerics.

"On it. Stay where you are until I've checked the Rad levels." Octavian replied moving into the forest.

"But trees, on a space ship?" Amy questioned the time travelers.

"Oh, more than trees. Way better than trees. You're going to love this." The Doctor said as he went into the forest pulling Stella along with him by her hand. He kneeled down opening a tree up revealing its inner technological working, clear tubes with white blue lights inside. "Treeborgs. Trees plus technology. Branches become cables become sensors on the hull."

"A forest sucking in starlight, breathing out air." Stella added on with a bright smile as she looked up to the ceiling where the tubes went from the trees out through the hall of the ship. "It even rains. There's a whole mini-climate. This vault is an ecopod running right through the heart of the ship."

"A forest in a bottle on a space ship in a maze. Have we impressed you yet, Amy Pond?" The Doctor grinned as he and Stella walked back up to the red head.

"Seven." Amy smiled with a laugh causing the couple to frown in concern.

"Seven?" The Doctor echoed sharply they moved closer to Amy.

"Sorry, what?" Amy looked confused.

"You said seven." Stella pointed out, her brows furrowed.

"No. I didn't." Amy denied.

"Yes, you did." River said.

"Doctor, there's an exit, far end of the ship, into the Primary Flight Deck." Octavian called out.

"Oh, good. That's where we need to go." The Doctor replied still looking to Amy.

"Plotting a safe path now." Octavian said.

"Quick as you like." The Doctor said.

"Doctor? Excuse me? Hello, Doctor? Angel Bob here, sir." Angel Bob called out over the walkie talkie. The Doctor pulled it out of his pocket and walked over to the chair plopping down, Stella setting on the arm of the chair and the Doctor wrapping his arm loosely around her waist.

"Ah. There you are, Angel Bob. How's life?" The Doctor questioned. "Sorry, bad subject."

"The Angels are wondering what you hope to achieve." Angel Bob said.

"Achieve? We're not achieving anything. We're just hanging. It's nice in here. Consoles, comfy chairs, a forest. How's things with you?" The Doctor asked.

"The Angels are feasting, sir. Soon we will be able to absorb enough power to consume this vessel, this world and all the stars and worlds beyond." Angel Bob replied.

"Well, we've got comfy chairs. Did I mention?" The Doctor questioned.

"We have no need of comfy chairs." Angel Bob replied.

"I made him say comfy chairs." The Doctor grinned as Stella rolled her eyes in amusement.

"Six." Amy laughed making Stella frown hard before she snatched the comm from the Doctor shooting to her feet.

"Okay, Bob, Stella here, enough chit chat. Here's what I want to know. What have you done to Amy?" Stella demanded as the Doctor walked up to her.

"There is something in her eye." Angel Bob answered.

"What's in her eye?" Stella bit out.

"We are." Angel Bob replied scaring Amy who walked over to them as they looked to her in concern.

"What's he talking about? Stella, I'm five. I mean, five. Fine! I'm fine." Amy struggled.

"You're counting." River told her.

"Counting?" Amy echoed.

"You're counting down from ten. You have been for a couple of minutes." The Doctor explained.

"Why?" Amy asked.

"We don't know." The Doctor said.

"Well, counting down to what?" Amy asked.

"We don't know." Stella said gently as she wrapped her arms around Amy's shoulder.

"We shall take her. We shall take all of you. We shall have dominion over all time and space." Angel Bob said triumphantly as the Doctor took the comm back from Stella.

"Get a life, Bob." The Doctor shot back. "Oops, sorry again. There's power on this ship, but nowhere near that much."

"With respect, sir, there's more power on this ship than you yet understand." There was a screeching sound coming from all around them causing them to flinch back.

"What's that? Dear God, what is it?" River questioned as they looked around themselves.

"Sounds like a cross between a bunch of birds and a bunch of bats." Stella said thoughtfully as thuds sounded all around them..

"They're back." Octavian bit out.

"It's hard to put in your terms, Doctor Song, but as best I understand it, the Angels are laughing." Angel Bob informed them.

"Laughing?" The Doctor echoed as he and Stella shared a look.

"Because you haven't noticed yet, sir. The Doctor and his Star in the Tardis haven't noticed." Angel Bob told them.

"Noticed what?" Stella snapped.

"Doctor. Stella." Octavian called out.

"No. Wait. There's something I've missed." The Doctor said in frustration. Stella ran her hands over her face in equal frustration, that's when she saw it.

"And I think I know what it is." Stella pointed to a steaming W crack in the bulkhead above the entrance, and it was widening.

"That's, that's, that's like the crack from my bedroom wall from when I was a little girl." Amy panicked as soon as her eyes landed on it.

"Two parts of space and time that should never have touched." Stella breathed out, echoing the Doctor's words from when they had first encountered the crack.

"Okay, enough. We're moving out." Octavian ordered.

"Agreed. Doctor? Stella?" River called out when they moved closer to the crack instead of following the others.

"Yeah, fine." The Doctor said as he and Stella continued to stare at the crack. "Whatever you say."

"What are you doing?" River asked as she and Amy ran up to them.

"Right with you." The Doctor assured her as he scanned the crack.

"We're not leaving without you." River said.

"Oh yes, you are. Bishop." The Doctor looked to Octavian.

"Miss Pond, Doctor Song, now!" Octavian moved them along.

"Doctor?" Amy called out.

"Stella go with them, keep an eye on Amy." The Doctor said, nudging Stella after them.

"Fine, but you better hurry up." Stella gave him a quick kiss knowing that one of them needed to be working on what was happening to Amy.

"Will do love." The Doctor kissed her back.

"Come on!" River called out.

"Coming." Stella ran after them as the Doctor turned back to the crack and began a closer examination of the glow coming from the crack.

"So, what are you? Oh, that's bad. Ah, that's extremely very not good." The Doctor turned around to find himself surrounded by Angels. "Do not blink." He hopped down and started to move through them almost getting away until one grabbed the back of his jacket collar stopping him. "Argh!" Then…nothing happened, he waited a moment long, still nothing. "Why am I not dead then?" The Doctor struggled to glance behind him and saw the Angels reaching towards the crack. "Good, and not so good. Oh, this isn't even a little bit good. I mean, is that it? Is that the power that brought you here? That's pure Time Energy. You can't feed on that. That's now power, that's the fire at the end of the universe. I'll tell you something else." Bang! The Doctor ran into the forest without his jacket. "Never let me talk!"

-0-

"Amy? Amy, what's wrong? Stella, what's happening to Amy?" River questioned Stella, but she made no move to answer as she bit her lip contemplatively. "Amy, what's wrong?"

"Four." Amy swayed precariously.

"Sit down here Amy, just take it easy for a bit, ok? In fact, why don't you just lie down, that's it." Stella gently sat her down on a mossy tree trunk and Stella sat down next to her. Amy whimpered as she leaned over laying her head in Stella's lap. Stella gently started to run her fingers through Amy's hair in a calming motion.

"Med scanner, now." River ordered.

"Doctor Song, we can't stay here." Octavian said as she was given a scanner. "We've got to keep moving."

"We wait for the Doctor." Stella leveled her darkest glare as River wrapped the scanner around Amy's arm.

"Our mission is to make this wreckage safe and neutralize the Angels. Until that is achieved…" Octavian bit out as he stalked toward Stella whose glare darkened considerably. River quickly stepped in knowing how volatile Stella could be when the Doctor was in danger.

"Father Octavian, when the Doctor's in the room, your one and only mission is to keep him alive long enough to get everyone else home." River said as she held up her hands keeping them apart. "And trust me, it's not easy. Now, if he's dead back there, I'll never forgive myself. And if he's alive, I'll never forgive him." Then she froze gaining an annoyed look. "And, Doctor, you're standing right behind me, aren't you?"

"Oh, yeah." The Doctor grinned before he hopped down from the tree line.

"I hate you." River ground out.

"You don't." The Doctor replied bounding over to Amy and Stella, pressing a kiss to Stella's cheek before focusing on Amy. "Bishop, the Angels are in the forest."

"We need visual contact on every line of approach." Octavian said to his clerics.

"How did you get past them?" River asked.

"I found a crack in the wall and told them it was the end of the universe." The Doctor answered like it was obvious.

"What was it?" Amy asked in a strained voice.

"The end of the universe." The Doctor replied darkly before snatching the med scanner from river. "Let's have a look, then."

"So, what's wrong with me?" Amy asked fearfully.

"Nothing. You're fine." River assured her as the Doctor looked over the med scanner.

"Everything. You're dying." The Doctor said which turned from green to red.

"Doctor!" River snapped.

"Yes, you're right. If we lie to her, she'll get all better." The Doctor said bitterly.

"No, but it would have kept her calm." Stella popped him in the arm with a sharp look before she looked to Amy, carding her hand through Amy's hair again.

"Right." The Doctor mumbled before trying to think of what was wrong with Amy. "Amy, Amy, Amy. What's the matter with Amelia?"

"Something's in her eye. What does that mean? Does it mean anything?" Stella questioned looking to the Doctor.

"Doctor." Amy whimpered. "Stella."

"Busy." The Doctor replied.

"Scared." Amy said with a slight sob.

"Course you're scared. You're dying. Shut up." The Doctor said in agitation gaining another pop on his arm as Stella passed him.

"When this is over and he's saved the day I'll let you hit him." Stella said gaining a small laugh from Amy. "Just let us think."

"What happened? She stared at the Angel. She looked into the eyes of an Angel for too long…" The Doctor started to ramble.

"Sir! Angel incoming."

"And here."

"Keep visual contact. Do not let it move." Octavian ordered as more angels started to appear, surrounding them.

"Come on, come on, come on. Wakey, wakey." The Doctor hit his head as he paced.

"She watched an Angel climb out of the screen." Stella pointed out.

"She stared at the Angel and, and…." The Doctor trailed off.

"The image of an Angel is an Angel." Amy mumbled hoarsely.

"A living mental image in a living human mind. But we stare at them to stop them getting closer." The Doctor went on kneeling in front of Amy again.

"We don't even blink, and that is exactly what they want." Stella added with a frown.

"Because as long as our eyes are open, they can climb inside." The Doctor continued, then they both looked to each other wide eyed.

"There's an Angel in her mind." The Doctor and Stella said at the same time then slapped their hands over their mouths wide eyed.

"Three. Doctor, it's coming. Stella, I can feel it. I'm going to die." Amy whimpered and Stella gently rubbed her shoulder, trying to comfort her.

"Please just shut up. We're thinking. Now, counting." The Doctor took back up the communicator and stood to his feet. "What's that about? Bob, why are they making her count?"

"To make her afraid, sir." Angel Bob replied.

"Okay, but why? What for?" The Doctor demanded.

"For fun, sir." Angel Bob said easily. The Doctor let out a frustrated angry yell as he threw the communicator against some large stoned in annoyance.

"Doctor, Stella, what's happening to me? Explain." Amy demanded as she reached up grabbing Stella's hand.

"Inside your head, in the vision centres of your brain, there's an Angel." The Doctor explained as he walked back over to her kneeling down once again. "It's like there's a screen, a virtual screen inside your mind and the Angel is climbing out of it, and it's coming to shut you off."

"Then what I do?" Amy whimpered.

"If it was a real screen, what would we do? We'd pull the plug. We'd kill the power." Stella started to tug on the ends of her own hair in agitation. "But we can't just knock her out, the Angel would just take over."

"Then what? Quickly." River urged them.

"We've got to shut down the vision centers of her brain. We've got to pull the plug. Starve the Angel." The Doctor said.

"Doctor, Stella, she's got seconds." River pressed as she looked to the med scanner.

"How would you starve your lungs?" The Doctor asked suddenly.

"I'd stop breathing." River answered not looking up from the scanner.

"Amy, close your eyes." Stella ordered.

"No. No, I don't want to." Amy sobbed gripping Stella's hand.

"Good, because that's not you, that's the Angel inside you. It's afraid. Do it. Close your eyes." The Doctor told her and Amy quickly squeezed her eyes shut before her courage deserted her. The med scanner changed from red to green as soon as her eyes were shut.

"She's normalizing. Oh, you did it. You did it." River cheered as she looked to the time travelers, but the relief was short lived as more angels closed in on them.

"Sir? Two more incoming."

"Three more over here."

"Still weak. Dangerous to move her." River said as she looked over Amy who was sitting back up leaning against Stella.

"So, can I open my eyes now?" Amy asked as River removed the med scanner.

"Amy, listen to me. If you open your eyes now for more than a second, you will die." The Doctor said as he leaned down in front of her. "The Angel is still inside you. We haven't stopped it, we've just sort of paused it. You've used up your countdown. You cannot open your eyes."

"Doctor, we're too exposed here. We have to move on." Octavian called out.

"We're too exposed everywhere and Amy can't move." Stella said in agitation.

"And anyway, that's not the plan." The Doctor spoke up.

"There's a plan?" River looked to him as he straightened up.

"I don't know yet. I haven't finished talking." The Doctor said before he started to ramble out his plan as it came to him. "Right! Father, you and your Clerics, you're going to stay here, look after Amy." The Doctor moved to stand on a bunch of stones. "If anything happens to her, I'll hold every single one of you personally responsible, twice and then I'll let Stella deal with you." Stella smiled overly happy as she waved at them. "River, you, Stella, and me, we're going to find the Primary Flight Deck which is…" He wets a finger and held it up moving it around until her pointed in the right direction. "A quarter of a mile straight ahead, and from there we're going to stabilize the wreckage, stop the Angels, and cure Amy."

"How?" River asked.

"I'll do a thing." The Doctor replied as he came to stand back in front of them.

"What thing?" River pressed.

"I don't know. It's a thing in progress. Respect the thing. Moving out!" The Doctor ordered.

"Doctor, I'm coming with you. My Clerics'll look after Miss Pond." Octavian said as the Doctor made his way up to the Bishop with River and Stella following. "These are my best men. They'd lay down their lives in her protection."

"I don't need you." The Doctor said.

"I don't care. Where Doctor Song goes, I go." Octavian said defiantly.

"What? You two engaged or something?" Stella asked with a wince.

"Yes, in a manner of speaking." Octavian said, Stella and the Doctor looking to River who shrugged with a weird sort of strained smile. "Marco, you're in charge till I get back."

"Sir."

"Doctor? Stella? Please, can't I come with you?" Amy pleaded, looking in their general direction.

"You'd slow us down, Miss Pond." Octavian replied for them.

"I don't want to sound selfish, but you'd really speed me up." Amy said with a bit of a fearful bite in her tone.

"You'll be safer here. We can't protect you on the move." Stella said as she and the Doctor walked back over to her sitting on either side of her. "We'll be back for you soon as we can, we promise."

"You always say that." Amy whimpered.

"We always come back." The Doctor promised before shooting to his feet pulling Stella along with him. "Good luck, everyone. Behave. Do not let that girl open her eyes. And keep watching the forest. Stop those Angels advancing." He ordered as he made his way to the edge of the forest, Stella following along with River and Octavian. "Amy, later."

"River, going to need your computer!" Stella said and River handed it over as they headed out.

"Yeah. Later." Amy mumbled then jumped when a pair of hands wrapped around hers.

"Amy, you need to start trusting me and Stella. It's never been more important." She recognized the Doctor's voice.

"But you and Stella don't always tell me the truth." Amy complained.

"If we always told you the truth, we wouldn't need you to trust us." The Doctor replied.

"Doctor, the crack in my wall. How can it be here?" Amy questioned.

"I don't know yet, but I'm working it out." The Doctor said. "Now, listen. Remember what I told you when you were seven?"

"What did you tell me?" Amy asked.

"No. No, that's not the point. You have to remember." The Doctor said releasing her hands.

"Remember what? Doctor? Doctor?" Amy called out, but received no answer.

-0-

The Doctor and Stella caught up with Octavian and River, and inputting the readings from his sonic screwdriver into her mini-computer as Stella held it up for him.

"What's that?" River asked.

"Er, readings from a crack in the wall." The Doctor said as they looked over the readings.

"How can a crack in the wall be the end of the universe?" River asked.

"Don't know, but here's what I think. One day there's going to be a very big bang." The Doctor said as they moved through the forest.

"So big every moment in history, past and future, will crack." Stella went on with sigh.

"Is that possible? How?" River questioned looking to them.

"How can you be engaged, in a manner of speaking?" The Doctor changed the subject.

"Well, sucker for a man in uniform." River said with a teasing smile that Octavian did not take well to as he walked back to them.

"Doctor Song's in my personal custody. I released her from the Stormcage Containment Facility four days ago and I am legally responsible for her until she's accomplished her mission and earned her pardon." Octavian clarified with a dark look. "Just so we understand each other."

"Thank god." Stella said placing a hand between her hearts then she noticed the looks she was getting. "I knew there was no way a stuffy Bishop like you would be lucky enough to get a girl as cool as River."

"Oh, thank you sweetie." River grinned wrapping an arm around the cyborgs shoulders while Octavian shot her a bitter look before moving on ahead of them

"You were in Stormcage?" The Doctor asked leaning forward a bit.

"Is that a big deal? I was there for a time as well if you recall correctly." Stella shot him a pointed look.

"Still sorry about that." The Doctor winced recalling the unfortunate and completely accidental encounter they had had with a herd of Cervosics, but luckily it was only stunned.

"I'll bet." Stella rolled her eyes as the computer chirped gaining their attention.

"What? What is that?" River asked seeing the way the time travelers faces dropped when they looked at the computer.

"The date. The date of the explosion, where the crack begins." The Doctor breathed out.

"And for those of us who can't read the base code of the universe?" River asked looking between them.

"26 06 2010, Amy's time." Stella replied shakily.

-0-

Amy sat tensely on the mossy log, her eyes still firmly closed shut while the clerics stood around her on guard for any angels.

"So, what's happening? Anything happening out there?" Amy asked as the Angels pushed their hands into the Treeborgs, and the light starts to flicker, the angels ripping the wiring arpary.

"The Angels are still grouping. Are you getting this too?"

"The trees? Yeah."

"What's wrong with the trees?" Amy asked.

"Here too, sir. They're ripping the Treeborgs apart."

"And here. They're taking out the lights."

"What is it? What's happening? Tell me. I can't see." Amy called out.

"It's the trees. ma'am. The trees are going out."

"Angels advancing, sir."

"Over here again."

"Weapons primed. Combat distance five feet. Wait for it."

"What is it? What's happening? Just tell me!" Amy snapped.

"Keep your position and, ma'am, keep your eyes shut. Wait." A bright light flooded through the forest, blazing with an almost blinding force. "The ship's not on fire is it?"

"It can't be, the compressors would have taken care of it. Marco, the Angels have gone. Where'd they go?"

"What, the Angels?" Amy asked.

"This side's clear too, sir."

"The Angels have gone?" Amy asked loudly.

"There's still movement out there, but away from us now. It's like they're running."

"Running from what?" Amy demanded.

"Phillip, Crispin, need to get a closer look at that."

"What are you all looking at? What's there?" Amy snapped.

"It's like, I don't know, a curtain of energy, sort of shifting. Makes you feel weird. Sick."

"And you think it scared the Angels?" Amy asked.

"What could scare those things?"

"What are you doing?"

"Point me at the light." Amy stood to her feet.

"You can't open your eyes."

"I can't open them for more than a second, that's what the Doctor said." Amy shot back. "Still got a bit of countdown left."

"Ma'am. you can't."

"I need to see it." Amy said. "Am I looking the right way? I have to be quick."

"Very quick." He pointed her at the light.

"Okay." Amy opened her eyes which filled with fear upon seeing the crack. "It's the same shape. It's the crack in my wall."

"Close your eyes, now."

"It's following me! How can it be following me?" Amy fell to her knees, the cleric placing his hand over her eyes.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Amy nodded, her eyes closed. "It was the same shape."

"Marco, you want me to get a closer look at that?"

"Go for it. Don't get too close."

"Hang on. What about the other two? Why not just wait until they're back?" Amy asked.

"What other two?"

"The ones you sent before." Amy said.

"I didn't send anyone before."

"You did, I heard you. Crispin and Phillip." Amy said.

"Crispin and who?"

"Amy, there never was a Crispin or a Phillip on this mission, I promise you."

"No, I heard you. Before you sent Pedro, you sent Crispin and Phillip, and now you can't even remember them." Amy said quickly. "Something happened. I don't know what, and you don't even remember."

"Pedro?"

"Yeah, before you sent Pedro." Amy said.

"Who's Pedro?"

"Something's happening. Pedro was here a second ago and now you can't even remember him." Amy said.

"There never was a Pedro. There's only ever been the two of us here."

"No, there were five of us. Why can't you remember?" Amy asked.

"Listen. Listen. I need to get a closer look at that light, whatever it is. Don't worry, I won't get too close."

"No. No, you can't. You mustn't." Amy tried.

"Here. Spare communicator. I'll stay in touch the whole time."

"You won't, because if you go back there what happened to the others will happen to you." Amy pleaded with him.

"There weren't any others."

"There won't be any you if you go back there." Amy said desperately.

"Two minutes. I promise."

"Please, just listen to me!" Amy called out, but the cleric moved away from her and into the light.

-0-

They ran up to the large door of the primary flight deck, Octavian getting to work straight away on opening the small door at the base.

"It doesn't open it from here, but it's the Primary Flight Deck. This has got to be a service hatch or something." Octavian told them.

"Hurry up and open it. Time's running out." River urged him.

"What? What did you say?" The Doctor whirled around on her. "Time's running out, is that what you said?"

"Yeah. I just meant…" River tried, confused at his sudden abruptness.

"I know what you meant. Hush. But what if it could?" The Doctor started to lose himself to his thoughts again.

"What if what could?" River asked.

"Time. What if time could run out?" The Doctor turned to Stella grabbing her by her upper arms, her look similar to the one on his own face.

"Got it." Octavian opened the grate.

"Cracks. Cracks in time. Time running out." The Doctor started to pace furiously. "No, couldn't be. Couldn't be. But how is a duck pond a duck pond if there aren't any ducks?"

"And she didn't recognize the Daleks." Stella pointed out as she rubbed the temples of her head.

"Okay, time can shift. Time can change. Time can be rewritten. Ah. Oh!" The Doctor started putting together some of the pieces.

"Doctor Song, get through, now. Doctor? Doctor." Octavian called out as River went through the hatch.

"Time can be unwritten." The Doctor and Stella said together ignoring Octavian.

"It's been happening all around us and we haven't even noticed." The Doctor went on.

"Doctor, Stella, we have to move." Octavian tried to gain their attention, but they were too wrapped up in their thoughts.

"The CyberKing. A giant Cyberman walks over all of Victorian London and no one remembers." Stella started to bounce in place.

"We have to move it. The Angels could be here any second." Octavian said urgently.

"Never mind the Angels. There's worse here than Angels." The Doctor said.

"No!" Stella yelled causing the Doctor to whirl around and saw that an Angel had gotten its arm around Octavian's throat when they weren't looking.

"I beg to differ, sir." Octavian commented tensely as he gripped the arm.

"Let him go." Stella snapped as she grabbed onto the arm, the Doctor pointing his screwdriver into the angels face.

"Well, it can't let me go, ma'am, can it? Not while you're looking at it." Octavian said.

"We can't stop looking at it, it'll kill you." The Doctor said.

"It's going to kill me anyway. Think it through. There's no way out of this. You have to leave me." Octavian ordered.

"Can't you wriggle out?" The Doctor questioned.

"No, it's too tight. You both have to leave me. There's nothing you can do." Octavian said as Stella started to pull as hard as she could, tears slipping from her eyes. "Ma'am, there's nothing you can do."

"No." Stella brought her fist down on the elbow of the statue again and again, but all that happened was bloody knuckles.

"You're dead if we leave you." The Doctor said pulling Stella back as she cradled her hand close to herself.

"Yes. Yes, I'm dead. And before you go…" Octavian started,

"We're not going." Stella snapped.

"Listen to me, it's important. You can't trust her." Octavian said.

"Trust who?" The Doctor questioned.

"River Song. You think you know her, but you don't. You don't understand who or what she is." Octavian said.

"Then tell us." The Doctor ordered.

"I've told you more than I should. Now please, you have to go. It's your duty to your friends." Octavian said.

"Just tell us, why she was in Stormcage?" The Doctor demanded.

"She killed a man and woman. A good man and a good woman. Heroes too many." Octavian relented.

"Who?" Stella asked wearily.

"You don't want to know, ma'am. You really don't." Octavian replied.

"Who did she kill?" The Doctor pressed.

"Sir, the Angels are coming. You have to leave me." Octavian pointed out.

"You'll die." Stella said softly.

"I will die in the knowledge that my courage did not desert me at the end. For that I thank God, and bless the path that takes you to safety." Octavian said.

"I wish I'd known you better." The Doctor said.

"I think, sir, you know me at my best." Octavian said.

"I'm sorry…I'm sorry I gave you such a hard time and…I'm so sorry." Stella said tearfully.

"I wasn't exactly acting on my best manners either ma'am." Octavian said with a small smile.

"Ready?" The Doctor took hold of Stella.

"Content." Octavian breathed out. The Doctor nodded before pushing Stella into the hatch following behind her as a sickening crack echoed behind them, the Doctor closing the hatch behind them.

"There's a teleport." River said working at one of the damaged consoles as they came in. "If I can get it to work, we can beam the others here." She looked up from her work noticing the lack of Bishop. "Where's Octavian?"

"Octavian's dead." The Doctor said bitterly as they joined her at the consoles.

"So is that teleport." Stella looked over the panel. "You're wasting your time."

"I'm going to need your communicator." The Doctor said.

-0-

Amy was still sitting in the middle of the forest with her eyes shut tight against the angel in her mind, the communicator clutched in her hands.

"Hello? Are you there? Hello? Hello?" Amy called out softly into the communicator.

"I'm here. I'm fine. Quite close to it now."

"Then come back. Come back now, please." Amy begged.

"It's weird looking at it. It feels really…"

"Really what? Hello? Really what? Hello? Hello? Hello? Please say you're there. Hello? Hello?" Amy pleaded when the line to the cleric went dead.

"Amy? Amy? Is that you?" Stella called out over the communicator.

"Stella?" Amy said in relief.

"Where are you? Are the Clerics with you?" Stella questioned.

"They've gone." Amy said.

"What?! Where the heck did they go?" Stella asked quickly.

"There was a light and they walked into the light. Stella, they didn't even remember each other." Amy said fearfully.

"No, they wouldn't." The Doctor said shaking his head.

"What is that light?" River asked.

"Time running out. Amy, I'm sorry, I made a mistake." The Doctor said.

"We made a mistake, we should never have left you there." Stella corrected him.

"Well, what do I do now?" Amy asked.

"You come to us. The Primary Flight Deck, the other end of the forest." The Doctor said taking the communicator from Stella.

"I can't see. I can't open my eyes." Amy said.

"Turn on the spot." The Doctor ordered.

"Sorry, what?" Amy questioned.

"Just do it." The Doctor snapped. "Turn on the spot. When the communicator sounds like my screwdriver that means you're facing the right way. Follow the sound. You have to start moving now. There's Time Energy spilling out of that crack, and you have to stay ahead of it."

"But the Angels, they're everywhere." Amy said.

"I'm sorry, I really am, but the Angels can only kill you." The Doctor said.

"What does the Time Energy do?" Amy asked.

"Just keep moving!" The Doctor ordered.

"Tell me." Amy snapped and Stella snatched the communicator from the Doctor.

"If the Time Energy catches up with you, you'll never have been born. It will erase every moment of your existence. You will never have lived at all." Stella bit out in frustration. "Now, keep your eyes shut and keep moving!"

"It's never going to work." River said as Amy started to slowly make her way through the forest.

"What else have you got! River! Tell me!" The Doctor exploded in anger causing River to wince back.

"It's going to work." Stella said slipping her hand into his, calming him down somewhat. Suddenly there was a clanging sound in the ship.

"What's that?" River asked.

"The Angels running from the fire. They came here to feed on the Time Energy, now it's going to feed on them." The Doctor said as they looked around themselves. "Amy, listen to me." The Doctor held up the communicator pointing his sonic at it. "I'm sending a bit of software to your communicator. It's a proximity detector. It'll beep if there's something in your way. You just maneuver till the beeping stops. Because, Amy, this is important." The Doctor closed his eyes tightly. "The forest is full of Angels. You're going to have to walk like you can see.

"Well, what do you mean?" Amy asked.

"Look, just keep moving." The Doctor ordered.

"That Time Energy, what's it going to do?" River asked.

"Er, keep eating." The Doctor said.

"How do we stop it?" River asked.

"Feed it." Stella ground out.

"Feed it what?" River pressed.

"A big, complicated space time event should shut it up for a while." The Doctor answered.

"Like what, for instance?" River snapped.

"Like me, for instance!" The Doctor and Stella exploded at the same time.

"Stella no…" The Doctor started.

"Well I'm not going to let you do it." Stella said with a look and they were about to launch into an argument when the communicator beeped stopping them.

"What's that?" Amy asked.

"It's a warning." Stella said gently. "There are Angels round you now."

"Amy, listen to me. This is going to be hard but I know you can do it." The Doctor said. "The Angels are scared and running, and right now they're not that interested in you. They'll assume you can see them and their instincts will kick in. All you've got to do is walk like you can see. Just don't open your eyes. Walk like you can see. You're not moving. You have to do this. Now. You have to do this!"

-0-

Amy threaded her way through the group of Angels jerking back a few times when the communicator told her she was too close to one. Finally she made her way clear of the cluster she had found herself in, starting down a dirt path moving as fast as she could, Angels all around her. Suddenly she tripped over a half-buried tree root hitting the ground hard and the communicator flying from her hand.

"Doctor? Stella?" Amy called out as she got to her hands and knees, searching for the communicator, but falling short. "I can't find the communicator. I dropped it. I can't find it, Doctor. Stella." An Angel turned its head towards her. "Doctor. Stella!" Then another one turned, and another. "Doctor. Stella." Amy got to her feet just as an Angel reached for her throat then there was a flash of light.

"Don't open your eyes." River grabbed her holding her up. "You're on the Flight Deck. The Doctor's here. I teleported you. See? Told you I could get it working."

"River Song, I could bloody kiss you." The Doctor said as he and Stella worked the controls.

"Ah well, no thanks, rather not get on Stella's bad side." River smirked.

"Right you are." Stella called out before an alarm blared.

"What's that?" River asked.

"The Angels are draining the last of the ship's power, which means the shield's going to release." Stella said as the bulkhead into the forest raised to reveal an array of Angels.

"Angel Bob, I presume." The Doctor said spotting the angel with the communicator.

"The Time Field is coming. It will destroy our reality." Angel Bob said.

"Yeah, and look at you all, running away. What can I do for you?" The Doctor questioned as he and Stella moved closer to them.

"There is a rupture in time. The Angels calculate that if you throw yourself or Stella into it, it will close, and they will be saved." Angel Bob said.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Could do, could do that. But why?" The Doctor asked.

"Your friends will also be saved." Angel Bob said.

"Well, there is that." Stella allowed.

"I've travelled in time. I'm a complicated space time event too. Throw me in." River raced up to them.

"Oh, be serious. Compared to me and Stella, these Angels are more complicated than you, and it would take every one of them to amount to me or Stella, so get a grip." The Doctor said.

"Doctor, Stella, I can't let you do this." River said.

"No, seriously, get a grip." Stella said.

"You're not going to die here!" River snapped.

"No, I mean it. River, Amy, get a grip." The Doctor ordered.

"Oh, you geniuses." River caught on.

"Sir, the Angels need you or Stella to sacrifice yourself now." Angel Bob said.

"Thing is, Bob, the Angels are draining all the power from this ship. Every last bit of it. And you know what? I think they've forgotten where they're standing. I think they've forgotten the gravity of the situation." The Doctor said as he and Stella moved back.

"Or to put it another way, Angels." Stella said as a monitor alerted them, flashing Gravity Failing. River puts Amy's hand on the handles of a console module.

"You hold on tight and don't you let go for anything." River told her.

"Night, night." Stella said with a grin." Stella said and Gravity Failed showed on the screen. Feet left the floor as they all held onto the console, the spaceship tilting and the Angels fell backwards through the Forest disappearing into the crack, which then closed after they were all gone.

-0-

Amy is wrapped in a blanket back on the beach where it had all started, the Tardis is nearby standing nearby waiting for them. Stella sat next to Amy, her arm wrapped around the young girl.

"Ah. Bruised everywhere." Amy whined.

"Me too." The Doctor said.

"I'm fine." Stella smiled.

"What about your hand?" Amy asked.

"No angel no wound." Stella held up her mark free hand. "And unlike you two I kept my eyes opened as we made our way out."

"Well the Doctor didn't have to climb out with his eyes shut." Amy looked to the Doctor.

"Neither did you. I kept saying. The Angels all fell into the Time Field. The Angel in your memory never existed. It can't harm you now." The Doctor told her.

"Then why do I remember it at all? Those guys on the ship didn't remember each other." Amy said curiously.

"You're a time traveller now. Amy. It changes the way you see the universe, forever." The Doctor told her.

"Good, isn't it?" Stella got a smile out of the girl.

"And the crack, is that gone too?" Amy asked.

"Yeah, for now. But the explosion that caused it is still happening. Somewhere out there, somewhere in time." The Doctor frowned looking to the clerics who were also back and taking River back into custody.

"You, me, Stella, handcuffs. Must it always end this way?" River held up her hands where were in a pair of high-tech cuffs that beeped as the two time travelers walked up to her.

"What now?" The Doctor asked.

"The prison ship's in orbit. They'll beam me up any second. I might have done enough to earn a pardon this time. We'll see." River shrugged.

"Octavian said you killed a man and woman." Stella said.

"Yes, I did." River nodded.

"A good man and woman." The Doctor added.

"A very good man and a very good woman. The best I've ever known." River frowned.

"Who?" The Doctor asked.

"It's a long story. Doctor. Stella. It can't be told, it has to be lived. No sneak previews." River smirked. "Well, except for this one. You'll see me again quite soon, when the Pandorica opens."

"The Pandorica. Ha!" The Doctor wrapped his arms around Stella from behind resting his chin on her shoulder. "That's a fairy tale."

"Doctor, Stella aren't we all? I'll see you there." River smiled.

"We look forward to it." Stella smiled back.

"I remember it well." River said as Amy came up.

"Bye, River." Amy said.

"See you, Amy." River's handcuffs beeped. "Oh, I think that's my ride."

"Can we trust you River Song?" The Doctor asked.

"If you like, but where's the fun in that?" River was beamed away in a whirl of sand, the Doctor and Stella standing still looking thoughtful

"What are you thinking?" Amy asked.

"Time can be rewritten." The Doctor said before leading them into the Tardis which dematerialized from the beach.

-0-

They walked up to the console the Doctor setting it into motion as Stella helped. Amy watched them for a moment before walking up to them, looking a bit nervous.

"I want to go home." Amy finally blurted out causing the Doctor and Stella to frown sadly.

"Okay." The Doctor nodded.

"No, not like that." Amy said quickly. "I just, I just want to show you something. You're both running from River. I'm running too."

"What?" Stella asked as the Doctor parked the Tardis.

-0-

The Tardis had squeezed itself in by the door in Amy's room where a bridal gown was hanging on the open wardrobe door.

"Well…" Stella said as she looked the dress over.

"Yeah." Amy nodded from where she sat on the bed with the Doctor.

"Blimey." The Doctor breathed out.

"I know. This is the same night we left, yeah?" Amy asked.

"We've been gone five minutes." The Doctor said as she picked up a ring box and opened it.

"I'm getting married in the morning." Amy said softly.

"Why did you leave it here?" The Doctor asked.

"Why did I leave my engagement ring when I ran away with a strange man the night before my wedding?" Amy raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah." The Doctor nodded.

"Hmm. You really are an alien, aren't you?" Amy gave him a look.

"Who's the lucky fellow?" Stella broke in, not liking the way Amy sounded, but brushed it off.

"You met him." Amy said.

"Ah, the good looking one." The Doctor said then recalled the other boy. "Or the other one?"

"The other one." Amy nudged him with a smile.

"Well, he was good too." The Doctor nodded.

"Thanks." Amy rolled her eyes.

"You know, this calls for some drinks and I happen to have a bottle of Sparkling Kana Tripe tucked away for such an occasion. I'll nip inside and grab it along with some cups." Stella slipped into the Tardis.

"Kana what?" Amy looked to the Doctor.

"Don't worry, it is a fantastic drink, you'll love it. It's a drink that tastes like your favorite thing, no matter what it is. You like berries, you get berries, chicken and it taste like chicken, and so forth and so on." The Doctor explained.

"Oh, sounds…interesting." Amy said uncertainly. "So, do you comfort a lot of people on the night before their wedding?"

"Why would you need comforting?" The Doctor asked.

"I nearly died. I was alone in the dark, and I nearly died. And it made me think." Amy said scooting a bit closer to the Doctor.

"Well, yes, natural. I think sometimes. Well, lots of times." The Doctor rattled off.

"About what I want. About who I want. You know what I mean?" Amy said pointedly.

"Yeah." The Doctor nodded them frowned. "No."

"About who I want." Amy pressed.

"Oh right, yeah. No, still not getting it." The Doctor shook his head.

"Doctor. In a word. In one very simple word even you can understand." Amy tried to kiss him causing him to shoot to his feet, Amy following.

"No! You're getting married in the morning!" The Doctor called out.

"Well, the morning's a long time away. What are we going to do about that?" Amy pinned him against the Tardis and tried to undo his shirt.

"Amy, listen to me. I am nine hundred and seven years old." The Doctor shoved her hands away. "Do you understand what that means?"

"It's been a while?" Amy asked still trying to get at him.

"Yeah. No, no, no. I'm nine hundred and seven, and look at me. I don't get older, I just change. You get older, I don't, and this can't ever work." The Doctor tried to get away from her.

"Oh, you are sweet. Doctor. But I really wasn't suggesting anything quite so long term." Amy finally planted her lips on his.

"Amy!" The Doctor grabbed her hands tightly in his forcing her back an admonishing glare on his face. "The only woman for me in this or any other universe is Stella, I will not betray her like this, never would I be so careless with her hearts, and I would appreciate it if you'd have the same respect for your fiancé. You're getting married in the morning…" The Doctor's face fell in realization. "…in the morning…"

"Doctor?" Amy questioned.

"It's you. It's all about you. Everything. It's about you." The Doctor started putting it all together.

"Hold that thought." Amy ran over to her bed and laid out seductively.

"Amy Pond. Mad, impossible, Amy Pond. I don't know why, I have no idea, but quite possibly the single most important thing in the history of the universe is that I get you sorted out right now." The Doctor said rapidly.

"That's what I've been trying to tell you." Amy smiled.

"Come on." The Doctor grabbed her pulling her back into the Tardis.

"Doctor." Amy said with a smile as the Doctor took one last look at her alarm clock as it clicks over to 12:00pm 6/26.

" _And for those of us who can't read the base code of the universe?"_

" _Amy's time."_

-0-

Amy stood wide eyed before Stella who was looking at her from where she stood next to the monitor a swirling metallic purple bottle in hand while at her feet lay three shattered glasses, a profound look of deep betrayal on her face that slowly morphed into one of great anger. Amy took an involuntary step back in fear when Stella took a threatening step forward, her eyes burning, but she stopped herself from coming any closer.

"How dare you? How dare you betray me…betray us like that?" Stella hissed out, struggling to keep herself under control, her hands clenched so tight that they were shaking.

"I…I just…I…" Amy stuttered going pale.

"No, do not speak to me." Stella snapped, punctuating each word. "You were supposed to be our friend and you pull a stunt like this, this is low….I can't even…"

"Stella…" The Doctor started forward, but Stella shook her head before turning quickly and stalking off down the hall the sound of a door slamming shut echoing through the TARDIS. The Doctor slowly walked up to the console leaning against it heavily as he took deep breaths as his hands clenched and un-clenched. Amy walked up to him slowly, not sure what to do as the guilt ate away at her stomach.

"Doctor…" Amy tried.

"Not now Amelia." The Doctor said tersely, his voice rough in his anger. Biting her lip Amy quickly went down the hall to her room on the TARDIS leaving him alone. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't a little afraid of him, his anger was…there were just no words and Stella's…

"What were you thinking Pond?" Amy snapped at herself. She had known they were together, but the Doctor was just so amazing, how could she resist. She should have though; she should have put her friends before her own selfishness.

Then there was Rory.


	6. Chapter 6

**AN:**

 **I noticed that all of the companions of the Doctor had a theme song to go with them, even the Doctor has quite a few so I picked Tsuki no Densetsu to be Stella's song.**

-0-

Stella's room had changed with her regeneration, it now sported an art nouveau theme in varying shades of the rainbow, but still had touches of space in it in the form of bronze, gold, copper, and silver lights in the shapes of stars, suns, and moons hanging around from the ceiling. The ceiling was also covered in draping colorful gauzy fabrics accented by twinkling fairy lights throughout them.

Her bed was four poster made out of hardwood vines that entwined together to form her bed. All of her furniture had the same design as her bed, the hardwood standing out against the colorful carpet that covered the floor. She had beautiful paintings, lamps, and Knick Knacks, all of them art nouveau inspired. On her nightstand was a stain glass bowl full of lollipops surrounded by bracelets made from the wrappers, a few of them in progress.

Stella was pacing beside her bed with her small Celtic harp in hand, playing out her emotions. She thought Amy was her friend, how could she do this to her and the Doctor? After she had comforted her in the forest, after all they had been through. Her hearts hurt at the thought of it causing her music to take a sad and dark tune with flashes of sharp anger.

She had changed into a pair of fall colored print flare pants, an off the shoulder burnt orange crochet string halter crop top, a pair of brown sandals, a long sleeved blue, grey, orange, and black patterned thick knit ankle length long sleeved jacket with brown faux fur lining with a hood. Her hair was up in a high messy ponytail with a quaff on top to give it some character and a fist sized blue flower on the right side of her ponytail.

"Stella." The Doctor said softly as he opened the door. "Can I come in?"

"Sure." Stella sighed plopping down on the edge of her bed, her tune changing from her own song to Pan's Lullaby trying to calm herself down.

The Doctor walked over setting down next to her listening to her play as she vocalized along with the music. Her eyes were closed as she relaxed letting the music wash over her and the Doctor watched her with a soft smile. It flowed over him feeling him with such peace, the kind only his starlight could create for him.

On the ceiling and along the walls small lights like lightening bugs flowed around, seemingly dancing with the music in all the colors of a pastel rainbow casting the light about the room. She slowly came to a stop letting the melody hang in the air. Neither of them spoke for a moment before Stella allowed the Doctor to take the harp from her hands setting it aside then took her hands in his.

"That was beautiful." The Doctor smiled gently, but then frowned slightly as Stella's eyes remained downcast and angry. "Stella I never meant for that to happen, Amy was just reacting to all the danger she had been in and I tried to stop her, but…" The Doctor stuttered, but Stella placed a hand to his lips before moving it to cup the side of his face. "Starlight…."

"I know, I'm not mad at you are Amy…no, that's a lie, I am mad as Amy, furious in fact, but I'm mostly hurt, really badly hurt." Stella said as he reached up holding her hand to his cheek.

"She's been through a lot, she wasn't thinking." The Doctor shook his head then cupped her face with his free hand.

"That's no excuse." Stella frowned sourly.

"I know, I know, but don't worry, I'm going to fix it." The Doctor grinned excitedly.

"How?" Stella asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I have a plan." The Doctor replied booping her nose with a smile that Stella couldn't help, but to return. "Want to come?"

"Of course." Stella replied as they stood up.

Stella moved to go to the door, but the Doctor stopped her causing her to look up at him questioningly. Before she could ask what was wrong the Doctor leaned down softly kissing her lips with a passionate hunger, his arms slipping around her waist pulling her body flush against his. Stella's hand came up his chest resting between his hearts, the other playing with the hair at the nape of his neck as the kiss intensified with the parting of their mouths. Slowly they pulled apart sharing smaller kissed until they finally stopped resting their foreheads against each other starring happily into each other's eyes.

"Much better." The Doctor smiled as Stella hummed in agreement. They shared one last peck before the Doctor pulled her out of the room, down the hall, and out of the TARDIS not even bothering to stop to tell Amy they were leaving.

-0-

Rory was on the phone, trying to make himself heard above the noise of his stag party. All the participants are wearing red t-shirts with Rory's Stag on the back and a picture of Rory and Amy inside a heart on the front including Rory himself.

"Hey! It's me. Hello. How are you?" Rory called out into Amy's answering phone. "The reason for this call is because I haven't told you for seven hours that I love you, which is a scandal, and even if we weren't getting married tomorrow, I'd ask you to marry me anyway. Yes, I would, because you are smashing." Rory's attention was then taken by a giant pink cake as it was wheeled in to the tune 'The Stripper'. "Oh. Oh. Oh, blimey….I've…I've, er got to go. I'll see you tomorrow."

His companions pushed Rory forward toward the cake as everyone chanted.

"Out. Out. Out." Suddenly the Doctor burst out of the fake cake and everything went quiet as the Doctor moved around until he was facing Rory who was shaking his head in silent horror.

"Rory! That's a relief. I thought I'd burst out of the wrong cake, again." The Doctor said as Stella walked in with a young woman wrapped in a blanket. "That reminds me, there's a girl standing outside in a bikini. Could someone let her in and give her a jumper? Lucy? Lovely girl. Diabetic." He said in a sotto voice but then spotted Stela with Lucy. "Never mind, Stella's got her."

"Now then, Rory." Stella walked over to Rory clapping her hands on his shoulders as she smiled up at him, but still managed to look angry despite the smile. "We need to talk about your fiancée. She tried to kiss my fiancé; needless to say I'm not a happy camper."

"Tell you what, though. You're a lucky man. She's a great kisser." The Doctor grinned and someone dropped his beer glass which shattered on the floor. "Funny how you can say something in your head and it sounds fine."

"Exactly how good of a kisser was she?" Stella turned on her heel facing the Doctor, her arms crossed and eyebrow raised. The Doctor's eyes went wide as he slowly descended back into the cake while Stella glared at him.

-0-

The Doctor was hanging underneath the console platform, doing some welding nervously glancing over to Stella sitting in one of the captain's chairs cross-legged playing the Doctor's old recorder, The Allemande flowing from the instrument.

Stella had been giving him the icy silent treatment since his stupid comment at the stag party and his mind was going into over drive to fix it. Rory was looking around the Tardis in silent awe flinching a few times when it sparked as Amy paced watching him with a nervous frown, knowing that he knew about what she had tried with the Doctor.

"Oh, the life out there, it dazzles." The Doctor spoke up breaking the awkward silence. "I mean, it blinds you to the things that are important. I've seen it devour relationships and plans." The Doctor glanced over to Stella who refused to look at him as she went on playing. Suddenly the console sparked behind Rory making him jump. "It's meant to do that." The Doctor assured him. "Because for one person to have seen all that, to taste the glory and then go back, it will tear you apart. So, I'm sending you somewhere, together."

"Whoa. What, like a date?" Amy questioned moving over to the railing

"Anywhere you want. Any time you want. One condition. It has to be amazing." The Doctor sprung out from under the Tardis and up past the console to the stairs. "The Moulin Rouge in 1890. The first Olympic Games. Think of it as a wedding present, because it's either this or tokens." The Doctor looked down to Rory. "It's a lot to take in, isn't it? Tiny box, huge room inside. What's that about? Let me explain."

"It's another dimension." Rory said.

"It's basically another dimension." The Doctor said then realized what Rory had said. "What?"

"After what happened with Prisoner Zero, I've been reading up on all the latest scientific theories. FTL travel, parallel universes." Rory shrugged as the Doctor walked up to him, clearly invading the nurses personal space.

"I like the bit when someone says it's bigger on the inside." The Doctor said with a serious look, slightly intimidating. "I always look forward to that."

"So, this date." Amy came up to them, breaking the staring contest. "I'm kind of done with running down corridors. What do you think, Rory?"

"How about somewhere romantic?" The Doctor winked at Stella who ignored him as she tucked away the recorder into her jacket and pulled on her rose colored glasses.

She then rocked to her feet and strolled past the Doctor flicking the switch that landed them before continuing onto the doors not even looking back. The Doctor let out a tired sigh while Amy glanced over to him and Rory before looking down at the ground.

-0-

The Tardis landed in the middle of the busy area in plain open sight of everyone and was promptly ignored. Stella came out of the Tardis and leaned on the opposite door arms crossed, the Doctor came bursting out of the Tardis after her followed by Amy and Rory who looked around in amazement.

"Venice." The Doctor spread out his arms trying to get her excited. "Venezia. La Serenissima. Impossible city. Preposterous city. Founded by refugees running from Attila the Hun. It was just a collection of little wooden huts in the middle of the marsh, but became one of the most powerful cities in the world." The Doctor rambled on as they walked through the crowd. "Constantly being invaded, constantly flooding, constantly just beautiful." A woman gave him a flirty look which he quickly passed by before Stella noticed. "Ah, you got to love Venice. So many people did. Byron, Napoleon, Casanova. Ooo, that reminds me." The Doctor checked his watch. "1580. That's all right. Casanova doesn't get born for a hundred and forty five years. Don't want to run into him. I owe him a chicken."

"You owe Casanova a chicken?" Rory looked to him.

"We had a bet." The Doctor said before they were stopped by an official.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Papers, if you please." The man said. "Proof of residency, current bill of medical inspection."

"There you go, fellow. All to your satisfaction, I think you'll find." The Doctor said holding up his psychic paper.

"I am so sorry your Holiness. I didn't realize." The inspector said quickly.

"No worries." The Doctor blessed him as Stella walked up to them, but keeping a painfully obvious distance between herself and the Doctor. "You were just doing your job."

"Sorry, what exactly is your job?" Stella asked cocking her head to the side.

"Checking for aliens Countess." The inspector said with a small bow to Stella who raised her eyebrow a bit. "Visitors from foreign lands what might bring the plague with them."

"Oh, that's nice. See where you bring me? The plague." Amy smacked the Doctor on the arm.

"Don't worry, Viscountess. No, we're under quarantine here. No one comes in, no one goes out, and all because of the grace and wisdom of our patron, Signora Rosanna Calvierri." The inspector said with a wide smile as Amy held herself up a little more regally.

"How interesting." The Doctor said thoughtfully. "I heard the plague died out years ago."

"Not out there. No, Signora Calvierri has seen it with her own eyes. Streets are piled high with bodies, she said." The inspector told them.

"Did she now." The Doctor mused.

"How horrible." Stella mumbled as Rory took the psychic paper from the Inspector, who moved on to his next target, the Doctor and Stella walking on into the city.

"Er, according to this, I am your eunuch." Rory looked from the psychic paper to Amy who was about to go through the gate as well.

"Oh yeah. I'll explain later." Amy said quickly before rushing after the Doctor and Stella.

-0-

The iron gates of a large estate swung open with a loud creak allowing girls in white dresses with white parasols and heavy veils on their heads to walk out two by two.

"Veils down, girls." A woman in black at the head of them ordered and was obeyed, the veils lowering over their faces.

"The Calvierri girls." A girl who was close to them said in a sotto voice as they watched the procession from across the canal, a man quickly rushing up to the girls.

"What do you want?" The woman tried to stop him.

"Where's my Isabella?" The man demanded.

"What are you doing? Get away from there." The woman ordered, but the man shoved past her to the girls removing their veils, many of them hissing, until he found his daughter.

"Isabella? Isabella, it's me." The man said, but she showed no recognition, wincing in the light of the bright sun. One of the girls knocked the man down barring her needle like teeth at him with an animalistic growl.

"Girls, come along." The woman said and they all lowered their veils once again moving on. The man made to get up, but was stopped by a young man who held him down with his foot.

"She's gone." He sneered before moving on as well with a flourish of his cape.

"Isabella! It's me!" The man called out as two guards grabbed him pulling him up and away from the girls. "Isabella!"

"What was that about?" Amy asked looking back to where the Doctor and Stella should have been standing. "I hate it when they do that."

-0-

The Doctor and Stella came upon the man as he made his way through a narrow street, his steps heavy with anger and sadness. The Doctor slipped across the path to some stairs just behind the man before he spoke.

"Who are those girls?" The Doctor asked gaining his attention as Stella leaned against the wall opposite the Doctor.

"I thought everyone knew about the Calvierri school." The man eyed them.

"Our first day here." Stella shrugged as she tilted her head to the side. "It's okay."

"Parents do all sorts of things to get their children into good schools." The Doctor mused as he stepped down from the stairs walking over to Guido along with Stella. "They move house, they change religion."

A man passed by, the three of them going silent until he was out of ear shot.

"So why are you trying to get her out?" Stella rocked on her heels, her hands behind her back.

"Something happens in there. Something magical, something evil." The man said bitterly. "My own daughter didn't recognize me." Then his eyes filled with fear. "And the girl who pushed me away, her face, like an animal."

"I think it's time we met this Signora Calvierri." The Doctor commented slinging his arm around Guido's shoulders while Stella looped her arms through Guido's free arm humming in agreement.

-0-

La Signora was on her knees before her Steward in a stone courtyard, drinking deeply from a golden goblet, her face one of rapture as she drank.

"Mother?" Francesco called out as he came down to her from the stairs.

"Mummy's hydrating, Francesco." Rosanna said taking another goblet.

"And we never interrupt Mummy when she's hydrating." Francesco said as she drained the second goblet of liquid then sat down on the ground, Francesco laying on her lap. "We were accosted again. A man made a grab for one of the girls. The longer we wait, the greater the risk of discovery. I mean, we've already converted more than enough. Surely it's time to introduce them to my brothers?"

"I shall decide when we have enough." Rosanna replied.

"If it's more you want, let me take the girls into the city tonight. We could…"Francesco started, but Rosanna cut him off.

"We follow the plan. Let them hammer on our door. Beg to be taken." Rosanna grinned while Francesco frowned, throwing a small tantrum as he snapped to his feet and Carlo came up helping Rosanna up.

-0-

Amy and Rory walked around Venice as Rory tried to sort through everything. Amy had left with a strange man and woman, made out with the woman's man, and not only that, she had done it all on the night before their wedding.

"And what have you been doing?" Rory asked her tensely.

"Well, running, and fighting. I've been scared. More scared than I thought was…" Amy turned to him, clearly trying to put on a show, but Rory was not buying it.

"Did you miss me?" Rory cut her off.

"I knew I'd be coming back." Amy hedged as he punched him playfully in the shoulder.

"He was right." Rory scoffed as he started to stomp off. "It blots out everything else."

"Rory, this is our date." Amy took his hands in hers stopping him, her voice pleading. "Let's not do this. Not now."

"Huh." Rory gave in, the amazement of the situation dawned on him. "We are in Venice and it is 1580."

"I know." Amy grinned pulling him along, both of them laughing as Francesco watched them leave from a stairway.

"Flowers, signor?" A young girl offered him, but he shook his head and she wondered off to find more customers.

Francesco glanced from Rory and Amy then followed the flower girl around the corner, where she had paused to look over her flowers. Upon seeing Francesco she smiled offering a flower again thinking he had changed his mind as he placed his hand over hers still holding the flowers, she was wrong. Rory was about to take a photograph of Amy making a funny face in front of a building when they heard the terrified scream of the young flower girl.

"What was that?" Rory questioned as they ran back in time to see Francesco with blood on his sharp teeth and the girl with two holes in her neck. Francesco hissed, raising his cloak to cover his face as he swooped out of the alley pass the couple and a few others who had come to see what the scream was about. Rory instantly knelt down checking on the girl and letting out a sigh of relief.

"She'll be okay." Rory said as he looked up to find Amy starting to edge away as she looked after Francesco's departing form. "Where are you? Amy, come back!"

Amy ran after Francesco as fast as she could, but lost him when an alleyway opened straight onto the canal. She looked out over the water as she was unknowingly watched from underneath the water herself before she turned away going back to Rory.

-0-

"You have my daughter." Guido charged up to the gates of the school, the guards keeping him back as he yelled. "Isabella!"

"No, you're not coming in. Just stop there. Look, we've told you." The guards ordered, but the distraction enabled the Doctor and Stella to sneak past and round to the water gat where he soniced their way in.

"You have my daughter. Isabella! I demand you let me see my daughter." Guido called out.

"Go away." A guard shoved him back.

"Isabella, it's me. It's your father." Guido did not give up.

"We will arrest you." A guard threatened.

"Isabella!" Guido called out one last time.

"Give it up, will you. Move off." The Guard said and Guido reluctantly did so praying that the Doctor and Stella's plan worked.

-0-

The Doctor and Stella went quietly down a stone staircase to an area with a vaulted roof. They glanced around themselves, the Doctor taking note of the ornate mirror on one wall opposite three wood doors.

"Hello, handsome." The Doctor walked up to the mirror checking his teeth in the reflection. Stella shook her head with an amused smile as she walked up to the Doctor adjusting his bow for him, she could never stay angry at him for long. "And hello beautiful." Stella hummed in acknowledgement, her hands resting on his chest, the Doctor reaching up covering them with his own, holding them over his hearts. The Doctor furrowed his brows taking note of how she was staring at their hands, not meeting his gaze. "You know I love you, right? That what I said before, I didn't mean it at all, not like that, I just ramble sometimes and…"

"I know." Stella cut him off, but was still frowning a bit. "Was she really that good?"

"Nothing compared to you." The Doctor said releasing one of her hand tucking a finger under her chin and tilting her head up. The Doctor ducked his head, both of them pausing centimeters from each other's lips and eyes sliding to the side where they spotted five girls in white robes behind them who had no reflections.

"Who are you?" The asked in unison, the Doctor and Stella facing them wide eyed.

"How are you doing that? I am loving it. You're like Houdini." The Doctor said wit an excited grin.

"Only five slightly scary girls." Stella pointed out.

"And he was shorter." The Doctor commented.

"Will be shorter." Stella corrected.

"We're rambling." The Doctor slipped his hand into Stella's entwining their fingers.

"I'll ask you again, signor, signora. Who are you?" The five girls asked.

"Why don't you check this out?" The Doctor held out an ID card with a photograph of his first face on it. The girls stared at it blankly, and not getting the reaction he thought he would the Doctor looked at it.

"Library card. Of course, it's with…" The Doctor mimed a large nose.

"Rory." Stella said.

"He's…." The Doctor groaned.

"With Amy." Stella nodded.

"I need a spare." The Doctor sighed.

"Yes you do." Stella nodded as she started to pull the Doctor back.

"Pale, creepy girls who don't like sunlight and can't be seen. Ha. Am I thinking what I think I'm thinking?" The Doctor became excited again at the prospect.

"But the city. Why shut down the city?" Stella questioned. "Unless…"

"Leave now, signor and signora, or we shall call for the Steward, if you are lucky." The girls grinned as they bared their needle like teeth and started to advance on the Doctor and Stella, hissing. The couple ran out of the room to the stairs, the girls following.

"Tell me the whole plan." The Doctor said as he paused before the stairs, but received no answer. "One day that will work."

"No it won't." Stella shook her head.

"Listen, I would love to stay here. This whole thing. I'm thrilled. Oh, this is Christmas." The Doctor ran back up the stairs pulling Stella along with him leaving the creepy girls behind.

-0-

Night was beginning to fall, the torches lit to light the streets of the city, as the Doctor and Stella ran through the crowds of Venice in search of their companions. They ran straight into Amy meeting her in the same place the Doctor and Stella had left her and Rory.

"Doctor! Stella!" Amy called out to them.

"We just met some vampires." The Doctor cheered as he and Amy gripped each other's arms.

"We just saw a vampire." Amy said at the same time and the started to talk over each other.

"And creepy girls and everything." The Doctor said at the same time.

"Vampires." Amy cheered and they started to jump up and down just as Rory ran up to them.

"We think we just saw a vampire." Rory told them, out of breath.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know." The Doctor nodded with a large grin.

"Amy was just telling us." Stella stepped between the Doctor and Amy wrapping his arms around her as she pressed her back to his chest, Amy wisely backing up to stand next to Rory, not missing the icy look Stella shot her.

"Yeah, yeah." Amy nodded, a little more sedate now. "The Doctor and Stella actually went to their house."

"Oh….Right….Well…." Rory nodded, looking a little put out.

"Okay. So, first we need to get back in there somehow." The Doctor informed them as he laid his chin on top of Stella's head.

"What?" Rory yelped.

"How do we do that?" Amy asked in excitment.

"Back in where?" Rory questioned, but was still being ignored.

"Come and meet our new friend." The Doctor said taking Stella's hand and leading them down the street. The Doctor sped up a bit putting some space between them. "Stella, you can't keep just shutting Amy out."

"I have no idea what you're talking about or who for that matter." Stella said tensely.

"Stella…" The Doctor sighed.

"Well obviously she doesn't feel too bad about what she did; she hasn't even tried to apologize." Stella bit out.

"I'm sure she's just waiting for the right time." The Doctor tried to calm down her anger, but a scoff was all he got in return before she tugged him on clearly not wanting to talk about it anymore.

-0-

After introductions were over Guido spread out a vellum map of Venice on the table. They were all crowded around it as Guido showed them what he knew of the building so far. The Doctor had noticed that Stella kept herself between himself and Amy at all times, Amy had notice this as well, but neither brought it up verbally.

"As you saw, there's no clear way in. The House of Calvierri is like a fortress." Guido pointed out to them. "But there's a tunnel underneath it, with a ladder and shaft that leads up into the house." Guido ran his finger along the pathway. "I tried to get in once myself, but I hit a trapdoor."

"You need someone on the inside." Amy commented easily.

"No." The Doctor said right away, not looking up from the map.

"You don't even know what I was going to say." Amy defended herself.

"Er, that we pretend you're an applicant for the school to get you inside." The Doctor said glancing between her and the map.

"And tonight you come down and open the trapdoor to let us in." Stella rolled her eyes.

"Oh. So you do know what I was going to say." Amy's face fell.

"Are you insane?" Rory snapped.

"We don't have another option." Amy argued.

"He said no, Amy. Listen to him." Rory said.

"There is another option." Guido pointed to the collection of barrels behind Rory. "I work at the Arsenale." The Doctor took a sniff of the barrels that Rory happened to be sitting on. "We build the warships for the navy."

"Gunpowder." The Doctor said and Rory slowly edged away from it into some dead rabbits hanging from the ceiling near the fireplace. "Most people just nick stationery from where they work. Look, I have a thing about guns and huge quantities of explosive."

"What do you suggest, then?" Guido snapped slamming his fists on the table before turning angrily to the fire, poking at it with a metal shovel. "We wait until they turn her into an animal?"

"I'll be there three, four hours, tops." Amy said as she sat on the table crossing her legs, the Doctor smiling at her courage while Rory rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"No. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. It can't keep happening like this." The Doctor collapsed onto a small bed pulling Stella down next to him where she nuzzled into his side, his arm wrapped lovingly around her. "This is how they go. But we have to know." The Doctor gave in with a tired sigh, his cheek resting against Stella's head. "We go together, say you're my daughter."

"What? Don't listen to him." Rory said quickly rushing over to her. "Send in Stella, she's probably trained for this sort of thing."

"Your daughter? You look about nine." Amy scoffed.

"Brother, then." The Doctor replied.

"Too weird. Fiancé." Amy said causing Stella to snap to her feet before the Doctor could stop her taking a challenging step toward Amy.

"I'm not having you running around telling people he's your fiancé." Stella ground out causing Amy to shrink back. "Watch it Pond, you're already on thin ice."

"Sorry Stella." Amy mumbled as Stella shot her one more looked before settling back against the Doctor who let out a breath. The Doctor gave Stella an admonishing look which she ignored. "But Rory's right."

"Thank you." Rory said in relief.

"I mean, they've already seen the Doctor and Stella." Amy said then turned to Rory. "You should do it."

"Me?" Rory pointed to himself.

"Yeah." Amy smiled ruffling his hair. "You can be my brother."

"Why is him being your brother weird, but with me, it's okay?" Rory questioned in annoyance.

"Actually, I thought you were her fiancé." Guido pointed from the Doctor to Amy then to the Doctor and Stella. "And that you were siblings."

"Yeah, that's not helping." The Doctor took note of Stella's fists clenched hard.

"This whole thing is mental. They're vampires, for God's sake." Rory said in frustration.

"We hope." Stella said with a dark look.

"So if they're not vampires?" Amy questioned cautiously.

"Makes you wonder what could be so bad it doesn't actually mind us thinking it's a vampire." The Doctor replied bearing his teeth.

Later on Stella was sitting at the table in Guido's home where she was playing Tsuki no Densetsu on her recorder. The Doctor had commented that the song reminded him of her so she played it quite often.

Amy was changing in Isabella's room while Rory and Guido were swapping clothes elsewhere with the Doctor explaining the plan to a nervous Rory. Stella heard the door to Isabella's room open and close as Amy came out, hesitantly walking over to the table as Stella tucked away her instrument once her song was done.

"So what do you think?" Amy twirled around with a smile, but the frown on Stella's face caused hers to fall.

"It's fine." Stella said not even bothering to look before she started in on the plan, telling Amy everything she needed to know. Once she was done Stella stood to her feet making for the door. "Hope you got all that, I'm not repeating."

"Stella…I…" Amy ran up to her placing a hand on her shoulder that was quickly shrugged off, but Amy didn't give up. "I'm sorry, about kissing the Doctor, I really am, it was just with everything that happened and he was so amazing…I just lost my head I guess."

"That is no excuse." Stella turned back to Amy, arms crossed. The Doctor had told her to try and patch things up with Amy before he had left with the guys, Stella reluctantly agreeing. "You knew that we were together, that we were engaged."

"I know…I know…I'm sorry…" Amy said desperately, trying to find the words, but couldn't think of them. Stella eyed her for a moment taking note of the pleading look Amy was giving her and seeing true repentance let out a soft sigh let all of her anger go in one breath.

"I accept your apology." Stella said with a soft sigh.

"Really?!" Amy smiled and wrapped her in a hug. "Thank you, thank you, thank you." Amy chanted causing Stella to smile. "So…are we ok?"

"We're ok." Stella assured her as they released one another, Stella's face going serious again. "Be warned though Pond, if you ever kiss him again or even attempt it I will leave you back in Leadworth faster than you can blink and we will not come back for you, got it?"

"Yes ma'am." Amy nodded her head rapidly, her eyes wide.

"Fantastic." Stella beamed looping her arm through Amy's before pulling her out of the house. "Now let's go see what the boys are up to and get this mission going."

-0-

Rory and Amy were standing before Rosanna who sat regally on her throne and Francesco who looked board out of his wits, dressed in appropriate period costume. Amy stood looking only slightly more confident then Rory who looked on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

"So, basically, both of our parents are dead from getting the plague." Rory stuttered out while worrying Guido's hat in his hands. "I'm a gondola…driver, so money's a bit tight, so having my sister go to your school for special people would be brilliant." Rory went on as Francesco straightened up eyeing Amy. "Cheers."

"Have we met?" Francesco asked looking to Amy.

"I've just got one of those faces." Rory said.

"I wasn't talking to you." Francesco said as he pointed to Rory and walked toward them.

"She's got the same face, which is because she's my sister." Rory explained weakly as Francesco cirled around them stopping next to Amy.

"Carlo, explain yourself. Why have you brought me this imbecile?" Rosanna demanded of her steward.

"Signora, they have references from His Majesty the King of Sweden." Carlo explained surprising Rosanna.

"What? Let me see." Rosanna ordered and Rory stepped forward with the psychic paper whilst Francesco circled Amy, his eyes roving her like a searchlight.

"Well, now I see what got my Steward so excited." Rosanna commented as she eyed the paper then looked to her son handing the paper back to Rory. "What say you, Francesco? Do you like her?"

"Oh, I do, Mother. I do." Francesco breathed out as he got closer to Amy.

"Then we would be delighted to accept her. Say goodbye to your sister." Rosanna said as Carlo hustled Rory away.

"Tell Uncle Doctor and Aunt Stella I'll see you all really soon, okay? I'll be fine." Amy called out after him not seeing Francesco baring his fangs behind her.

"Amy." Rory said one last time before the door was shut and Amy was left on her own.

When Carlo returned he led Amy through the house up a stone staircase, past a lot of pale young women, into a room with several beds under a large, ornately decorated dome.

"There are clothes on the bed. Get changed and wait here." Carlo ordered gesturing to the bed with a white gown on it.

"Blimey. This is private education, then?" Amy looked around as Carlo left with all but one of the girls. Amy walked over to the last girl sitting on her bed starring out into nothing. "Hey. Hello, I'm Amy. What's your name?

"Isabella." She answered just as the sound of the door shutting echoed up to them.

"Listen, we're going to get you out of here, but I need you to tell me what's going on." Amy told her as she sat on the bed. "What is this place? What are they doing?"

"They er, they come at night. They gather around my bed, and they take me to a room with this green light and a chair with straps, as if for a surgeon." Isabella said fearfully as she closed her eyes with the memory of the pain then snapped them back open as she looked to Amy.

"What happens in there?" Amy asked.

"I wake up here. And the sunlight burns my skin like candle wax." Isabella said with tears in her eyes as a bell tolled the hour.

-0-

Guido poled his gondola smoothly along the canal wearing Rory's stag party t-shirt and the doctor holding a torch to light their way, Rory next to him and Stella sitting across from him in the boat. All of them were worried for Amy, but none more than Rory.

"She'll be fine." The Doctor said trying to reassure him.

"You can promise me that, can you?" Rory snapped.

"Have faith Rory, Amy can more than handle herself." Stella said confidently.

"We're here." Guido said as he stopped the boat in front of a secret passage into the house. The three time travelers climbed out of the gondola and made their way into the mansion.

"Right. Okay, I'll go first. If anything happens to me, go back." The Doctor told them as they made their way up a small set of wooden stairs to a door.

"What happened, between you and Amy?" Rory asked suddenly. "You said she kissed you."

"Now? You want to do this now?" The Doctor asked in exasperation, glancing over to Stella. She reached out taking his hand in hers, reassuring him that she was not mad.

"I have a right to know. I'm getting married in four hundred and thirty years." Rory said as they went on as the Doctor opened the Door and they went into a dark corridor.

"She was frightened. Stella was frightened. I was frightened." The Doctor said, trying to explain. "But we survived, you know, and the relief of it, and so she kissed me."

"And you kissed her back." Rory spat out.

"No, I would never Rory." The Doctor said wrapping his arm around Stella. "Rory, she kissed me because I was there. It would have been you. It should have been you.

"Yeah, it should have been me." Rory said bitterly.

"Exactly. That's why we brought you here." Stella said before a strong wind blew out their torch.

"Can we go and see the vampires now, please?" The Doctor asked softly.

-0-

Amy was exploring the damp basement, not noticing the corpses all around her. She searched until she found the cover of the trapdoor to the tunnel, and pulled back the metal bolts. She started to leave, but walked straight into Carlo, dropping her candle.

-0-

They finally came to the end of the tunnel and were under the trapdoor. Stella looked up as she stood under it then to the boys as she cupped her hands lacing her fingers together like a stirrup.

"Ok, who's first?" Stella asked causing Rory to chuckle and Stella to raise an eyebrow.

"Maybe we should boost you up first." Rory pointed out, but the Doctor was already running over to Stella.

"Me first." The Doctor said as Stella easily boosted him up and holding him there giving the Doctor time to open the door. "Push. Come on." Stella raised him higher until he was able to climb out, all with relative ease. "There we are, thank you love."

"Or not." Rory said in shock.

"You next Rory." Stella looked to the nurse.

"How…?" Rory started to ask.

"Cyborg." Stella shrugged.

"Right…" Rory hesitated before going for it. "…right…"

Stella gave Rory a boost out of the trapdoor with the Doctor pulling him up.

"My turn." Stella called up to the boys who leaned through the trapdoor allowing Stella to jump up grasping their hands as they pulled her up. "Thank you very much." Stella stood up looking around. "Amy? Where's Amy?"

"Amy?" The Doctor called out as well.

"I can't see a thing. Just as well I brought this, then." Rory produced a tiny penlight while the Doctor pulled out a small light sabre.

"Ultraviolet." The Doctor told Rory who was starring open mouthed. "Portable sunlight."

"Yours is bigger than mine." Rory said.

"Let's not go there boys." Stella shook her head causing both boys go red in the face.

"If we cancel now, we lose the deposit on the village hall." Rory bemoaned as the Doctor and Stella were looking around the large room. "The salsa band."

"Salsa band! I love a good salsa. Doctor after this, Salsa dancing." Stella did a smooth salsa step, the Doctor's eyes going straight to her rolling hips.

"Mucho caliente!" The Doctor commented.

"Gracias mi amor." Stella winked at him as she danced over to him.

"Oh…is this really the time…for…for…that…?" Rory stuttered out.

"I guess not." Stella sighed causing the Doctor to pout slightly. Stella smiled giving him a quick peck on the lips before moving onto a nearby chest, the Doctor opening it to reveal desiccated vampires. "Oh dear…"

"What happened to them?" Rory asked as the Doctor took a closer look with his portable sunlight.

"They've had all the moisture taken out of them." The Doctor told them grimly as he touched the wrist of the skeletal remains.

"That's what vampires do, right? They drink your blood and replace it with their own." Rory pointed out.

"Yeah, except these people haven't just had their blood taken, but all the water in their entire bodies." The Doctor explained.

"Why did they die? Why aren't they like the girls in the school?" Rory asked.

"Maybe not everyone survives the process." Stella said softly causing Rory to groan angrily as he moved away from them.

"You know what's dangerous about you two?" Rory snapped in annoyance. "It's not that you make people take risks, it's that you make them want to impress you. You make it so they don't want to let you down." Rory ranted on and Stella could see the guilt gathering in the Doctor's eyes, a similar feeling festering in her stomach. "You have no idea how dangerous you make people to themselves when you're around."

"Rory, to be fair, you barely know us; we've only met like two times, so shut up" Stella stood up straight with a tired sigh that turned into a slight yelp of surprise.

"Who are you?" Six girls had appeared without their notice, all of them dressed in white gowns. The Doctor waved his UV light at them forcing them back.

"We should run." The Doctor called out taking hold of Stella's hand as they started to run with Rory, the light keeping the girls at bay. "Run."

-0-

"Control yourself, child." Carlos ordered as he forced her down the stairs into a room where Rosanna, her son, and the girls were waiting for her.

"Take your hands off me!" Amy yelled struggling as the room was illuminated with green light, her eyes going wide in fear.

"Psychic paper, did you really think that would work on me?" Rosanna scoffed as she began the interrogation. "Where are you from? Did you fall through the Chasm?"

"Mother this is pointless. Let's just start the process and…" Francesco started impatiently.

"Hold your tongue, Francesco. I need to know what this girl is doing in a world of savages with psychic paper. Who are you with? You see, I scarcely believe your idiot brother sent you. What are you doing in my school?" Rosanna questioned as the chair was brought forward. Francesco took a metal hook hanging it from a ring above the chair, and drip bag was hung from that by one of the girls.

"Okay, I'll tell you. I'm from Ofsted." Amy replied.

"Put her in the chair." Rosanna laughed

"No! Take your hands off me!" Amy shouted as the vampires set up bags of blood and fastened Amy into the chair, Francesco holding her head in place so that her neck was exposed.

"Oh, make sport of me, will you? Tease me as if I were your dog? Well, this dog has a bite, girl." Rosanna bared her fangs approaching the now terrified Amy.

"Doctor!" Amy screamed in pain as Rosanna bit into her neck drinking deeply for a time and when she was done Amy was left in a weakened delirious state.

"Mother, where you drink from her, may we share? I'm so thirsty." Francesco bared his own fangs as he hovered over his mother's bite mark left in Amy's neck.

"Of course, darling." Rosanna said with a smile then started to give her monologue. "This is how it works. First, we drink you until you're dry. Then we fill you with our blood. It rages through you like a fire, changing you, until one morning you awake and your humanity is a dream now faded."

"Or you die. That can happen." Francesco commented offhandedly.

"And if I survive?" Amy asked weakly.

"Then there are ten thousand husbands waiting for you in the water." Rosanna answered.

"Yeah, sorry, I'm kind of engaged." Amy kicked out at Rosanna, damaging a device under her overskirt forcing her to briefly transform into a bony vampire fish lobster mutant.

"Oh! Rory, come on." The Doctor called out as they ran down the halls.

"Faster!" Stella urged them on causing Rosanna, Francesco and Carlo to ran out to stop them.

"Cab for Amy Pond?" The Doctor said with a nervous smile as Isabella came to free Amy from the chair.

"She bit me." Amy complained as fish girls blocked the Doctor Stella and Rory's retreat.

"This rescue plan. Not exactly watertight, is it?" Rosanna said before the Doctor brandished his UV light again.

"Ah ha!" The Doctor forced them back as Isabella and Amy ran in.

"Rory." Amy called out.

"Amy." Rory said in relief.

"Quickly, through here." Isabella led them away down another hall.

"Seal the house." Rosanna ordered as the girls and Francesco went after them.

"They're not vampires." Amy called out.

"What?" The Doctor called back.

"I saw them. I saw her. They're not vampires, they're aliens." Amy told them as the Doctor soniced the trapdoor hatch.

"Classic." The Doctor grinned as they started laughing.

"That's good news? What is wrong with you people?" Rory said in frustration, the banging on the trap door echoing down to them.

"Now we know what they are we can find a way to stop them." Stella explained as she grabbed Rory pulling him along.

"Come on, Rory. Move." The Doctor ordered as Francesco and the vampires caught up to them, but were held back by the UV light causing Francesco to send the girls ahead of him. "Keep moving. Come on, guys."

They came to the door forcing it open revealing daylight, and church bells ringing with the dawning sun while down in the canal Guido was still waiting impatiently with his gondola.

"Quickly, quickly. Get out. Quick. Quick." They all ran out at her urging, but Isabella recoiled as the sunlight touched her skin.

"Come on. Run." The Doctor ordered.

"I can't." Isabella flinched back.

"Yes you can!" Stella ran back to her pulling off her long sleeved thick knit fur lined hooded coat that reached down to her ankles and threw it around Isabella pushing her out right before the vampires could grab her, Stella on the other hand was pulled back before she could get away. "Doctor!"

"Stella!" The Doctor yelled as the vampires shut the heavy door leading to the tunnel before the Doctor could get to them. He slammed into the door touching the metal on it, and was electrocuted sending him tumbling down the stairs. Rory ran over to him quickly looking him over as Amy hovered nearby.

"Is he dead?" Amy asked fearfully.

"No, he's breathing." Rory assured her just before they packed him off into the gondola where Guido and Isabella were waiting. They had to get out of there before the guards came for them if they were to have any chance of saving Stella.

-0-

This was not the first nor would this be the last time this had happened to her of that she was sure, in fact this was the fifth time so far or maybe sixth, in short Stella was being made to walk the plank again. She had to admit though it was much better than being burned at the stake or hung, those were the days.

"And so in memory of the children lost to the Silence, the enemy is delivered to the arms of those she trespassed against." Carlo finished reading from a long scroll.

"Do you expect me to drown or what? Because I'm telling you now, I can swim." Stella pointed out only for a guard to prod her with a long axe spear. "Ok, ok, I'm going." Stella rolled her eyes before she started to bounce on the end of the plank her hands pointed out in front of her. "She's planning a double-twisting interrupted forward-flying two-and-a-half with a combo tuck and pike, high degree of difficulty. Cannonball!" Stella jumped into the water with a shout and came back up with a laugh. "Nice, refreshing." Bubbles started to rise from the water. "Bit cold for a hot tub. Whoa! Something touched my leg!" Stella yelped. "They're all around me. They bite!" Stella was pulled down under the water. "Help!"

"Now leave us." Rosanna ordered when the water had gone still. Carlo clapped and the vampires and the guards went back inside the house as Rosanna kneeled by the water which started to bubble once again.

"Mother, change your form, or my brothers will think they are being fed twice today." Francesco cautioned her as the bubbles grew in canal in front of her.

"Not long now. It's not long." Rosanna smiled leaning over the water with a loving smile before getting up and going inside with Francesco.

Stella watched Rosanna from beneath the water, to far down for the Rosanna to see her. Around her Rosanna's children were being kept back thanks to a sonic pulse she was sending out from her hands. With a shake of her head she swam down the water ways having enough air in her lungs to allow her to remain under the water until she was close enough to Guido's home not wanting to be spotted by any of her goons. She took note that Rosanna's kids did not follow her, staying close to the house like the good little mommy's boys they were.

"Nice swim, good swim…" Stella swam to the bank then pulled herself up onto the sidewalk, people looking at her strangely, but a man was kind enough to give her a hand up.

"Are you alright?" He asked in concern.

"Yeah, just went for a bit of a dip. Pardon me." Stella quickly walked back to Guido's home where she found Amy, Rory, Isabella, and Guido, but no Doctor about to go inside.

"Hello all." Stella called out.

"Stella!" Amy and Rory ran over to her, Rory instantly checking over a bite in her shoulder as well as taking note of a couple on her legs.

"What happened to you? You're soaking and are those bite marks?" Amy asked wide eyed as her hand went to her own bite wound on her neck.

"Got caught, was made to walk the plank, and was almost fish food." Stella gave them the short version of her story. "Where's the Doctor?"

"He went back to confront Rosanna to get you. The Doctor was out of it for a bit, electrocuted and all. We tried to find a way in right away, but it was no use." Rory told her and explained that after they had gotten the Doctor into the Gondola and rowed away to safety he had come to asking for her.

The look in his eyes when they had told him what had happened had been scary enough to make them feel almost sorry for Rosanna and the others. The fire and ice of rage that burned was like nothing they had ever seen before.

"Well then I should probably go get him before he does something stupid, back in a bit." Stella ran as fast as she could back to Rosanna's house.

-0-

Rosanna entered her throne room alone to find the Doctor sitting on her throne. The Doctor spoke first as they eyed each other, sizing the enemy up as it was.

"Long way from Saturnyne, aren't you, Sister of the Water?" The Doctor commented as he tapped the arm rest of the throne.

"No, let me guess. The owner of the psychic paper." Rosanna smirked as she walked closer in a zig zagging pacing manner. "Then I take it you're both refugees, like me?"

"I'll make you a deal. An answer for an answer." The Doctor said, easing his way into finding Stella. He needed to know what he was dealing with lest they use her as a hostage. "You're using a perception filter. It doesn't change your features, but manipulates the brainwaves of the person looking at you. But seeing one of you for the first time in, say, a mirror, the brain doesn't know what to fill the gap with, so leaves it blank, hence no reflection."

"Your question?" Rosanna asked.

"Why can we see your big teeth?" The Doctor asked leaning back in the throne

"Self-preservation over rides the mirage. The subconscious perceives the threat and tries to alert the conscious brain." Rosanna replied as she paced closer.

"What did you do to Stella?" The Doctor questioned tensely.

"My turn." Rosanna replied with a happy smirk. "Where are you from?"

"Gallifrey." The Doctor answered.

"You should be in a museum or in a mausoleum." Rosanna commented as the Doctor scoffed.

"Why are you here?" The Doctor asked.

"We ran from the Silence." Rosanna answered gaining the Doctor's attention. "Why are you here?"

"Wedding present." The Doctor said. "The Silence?"

"There were cracks. Some were tiny. Some were as big as the sky." Rosanna's eyes became haunted with the memory, with her loss. "Through some we saw worlds and people, and through others we saw Silence and the end of all things. We fled to an ocean like ours, and the crack snapped shut behind us. Saturnyne was lost."

"So Earth is to become Saturnyne Mark Two." The Doctor summed up.

"And you can help me. We can build a new society here, as others have. What do you say?" Rosanna asked as the Doctor stood to his feet, but before he could answer Stella did it for him.

"He says no." Stella walked in as she cracked her knuckles, Rosanna's eyes going wide and her mouth opened to call out to the guards. "Don't bother calling the guards; they're incapacitated at the moment."

"Stella." The Doctor smiled in relief as she walked up to them, the Doctor's face becoming worried when he saw her wounds. "You're soaking and you're hurt."

"That's thanks to Rosanna here. She tried to feed me to her kids." Stella glared at the fish woman.

"You survived? How?" Rosanna demanded, worried for her children.

"I'm clever." Stella replied with a dark look. "Now I have a question, how do we reverse what you did to Isabella?"

"Isabella?" Rosanna echoed.

"The girl who saved our friend." Stella ground out.

"Now why would I tell you that even if there was a way?" Rosanna smirked as Stella's glare intensified. Rosanna looked from Stella to the Doctor, coming closer to him than necessary. "I need an answer, Doctor. A partnership." Rosanna eyed the Doctor up and down. "Any which way you choose."

"I don't think that's such a good idea, do you? I'm a Time Lord. You're a big fish. Think of the children." The Doctor said with a scoff as he wrapped his arm around Stella's waist holding her close. "Plus I don't believe my fiancé here would appreciate it."

"Two words, fish fry." Stella deadpanned.

"Carlo?" Rosanna called out as she backed away from them. "You're right. We're nothing alike. I will bend the heavens to save my race, while you philosophize."

"This ends today. We will tear down the House of Calvierri, stone by stone." The Doctor said as Carlo came up taking hold of them, but the Doctor jerked out of his grasp. "Take your hands off me, Carlo."

The Doctor glared at Carlo who had a shock of fear in his eyes. They started to walked out, but Stella came to a sudden stop looking back to Rosanna.

"And you know why?" Stella asked her. "You didn't know Isabella's name." Stella said with a dark look. "You didn't know Isabella's name and I doubt you know the names of the girls whose lives you tore apart."

"Open the gates." Carlo ordered as he escorted them the rest of the way out.

-0-

Rosanna came out into the courtyard taking the stairs down, the ame courtyard where she hydrated everyday.

"Attend. Attend." Rosanna called out as the girls, servants, and Fracesco came out into the courtyard at her command. "The storm is coming." Rosanna announced as she threw out her arms then briefly transformed into her real form causing Carlo to stagger back down the stairs in shocked horror. "Argh!"

"Mummy, what's wrong with your perception filter?" Francesco questioned as he walked toward the stairs.

"The idiot child must have damaged it when she kicked me." Rosanna growled as another brief transformation took her over before she was able to fix it and stabilize her form. "Now, assemble the girls. I have a job for them."

-0-

The Doctor checked Amy's puncture wounds with his sonic screwdriver slowly sonicing them closed. He checked the readings with a flick of his wrist.

"You're fine, open wide." The Doctor assured her as he popped a humbug into her mouth.

Guido and Rory were back in their own clothes back and Stella had changed into a pair of dark green harem pants, a black lace scooped neck quarter length sleeved crop top, and a pair of black sandals, all of which she kept in her jacket pockets in case of emergency. She placed her still wet hair in a high braided bun decorated with dark green ivy that had large leaves and small white flowers.

"Now this should reverse what they did to you. Just need a sample of your original DNA, thanks dad…" Stella took out a patch placing it on Isabella's arm then pricked Guido's finger causing him to gasp slightly. She pressed his finger to the patch that turned from peach to red before she let go of his finger. "And when that turns peach again it will mean you have been restored to your normal self." Stella handed her a bright pink lollipop with purple flecks. She really hoped the patch worked. She had talked it over with the Doctor and this was the best they could come up with to help Isabella. "And this will make you feel better until then."

"Thank you, I didn't think I would make it out of there." Isabella said sincerely.

"No problem, no one should have to go through something like that." Stella smiled gently.

"Have…have you ever…?" Isabella struggled, her brows furrowed.

"I did once a long time ago, but that is not a story I like to share." Stella said softly.

"Do you ever heal from it?" Isabella asked.

"One day you will and you have your father to help you." Stella told her placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "You'll be fine, I promise just take it easy for a bit. Now we have important matters to attend to, right Doctor."

They all took seats around the table to discuss what was happening. Stella was on the Doctor's right with Guido next to her and Isabella next to him, her head resting on his shoulder as she dozed. Amy and Rory were across from them, all of them watching as the Doctor paced.

"Right. I need to think. Come on, brain. Think, think, think. Think." The Doctor chanted as he tried to put it all together plopping down on a seat at the head of the table.

"If they're fish people, it explains why they hate the sun." Amy commented while sucking on her candy.

"Stop talking. Brain thinking. Hush." The Doctor covered her mouth.

"It's the school thing I don't understand." Rory said.

"Stop talking. Brain thinking. Hush." The Doctor pointedly looked to Amy until she put her hand over Rory's mouth with a roll of her eyes.

"I say we take the fight to them." Guido said.

"Ah, ah, ah." The Doctor stopped him.

"What?" Guido asked as the Doctor looked to Stella who sighed before putting her hand over Guido's mouth with an apologetic look.

"Ah. Her planet dies, so they flee through a crack in space and time and end up here. Then she closes off the city and, one by one, starts changing the people into creatures like her to start a new gene pool. Got it." The Doctor rambled on. "But then what? They come from the sea. They can't survive forever on land, so what's she going to do?"

"Unless she's going to do something to the environment to make the city habitable." Stella said as the Doctor nodded in agreement.

"She said, I shall bend the heavens to save my race." The Doctor put his hands on top of Amy and Stella's heads moving them around as he spoke, both girls exchanging annoyed looks. "Bend the heavens. Bend the heavens."

"She's going to sink Venice." The Doctor and Stella said together in realization as they all removed their hands from each other's mouths.

"She's going to sink Venice?" Guido echoed in shock.

"And repopulate it with the girls she's transformed." The Doctor went on.

"You can't repopulate somewhere with just women. You need blokes." Rory pointed out as he picked up a wooden spoon

"She's got blokes." Stella said as she rubbed her face.

"Where?" The Doctor asked her.

"In the canal. She said to me there are ten thousand husbands waiting in the water." Amy added on in realization.

"Yeah, I had a bit of swim with them." Stella gestured to her bandaged bite wounds, one on her right arm, two on her left, and a few scattered along her legs. The Doctor had not been happy about it, ranting on and on so Stella didn't even have the chance to tell him how she had gotten them. "Only the male offspring survived the journey here apparently."

"She's got ten thousand children swimming around the canals, waiting for Mum to make them some compatible girlfriends." The Doctor surmised then pulled a grossed out face. "Urgh. I mean, I've been around a bit, but really that's, that's eugh." A loud thump and creak echoed from upstairs causing them all to look up. "The people upstairs are very noisy."

"There aren't any people upstairs." Guido said.

"Do you know, I knew you were going to say that." The Doctor said with a nervous smile. "Did anyone else know he was going to say that?"

"No, but it is our luck." Stella said as she stood up from the table.

"Is it the vampires?" Rory asked.

"Like I said, they're not vampires, fish from space." The Doctor corrected him holding up his UV light right before a window was shattered and the vampire fish gathered in the door ways and windows.

"Aren't we on the second floor?" Rory asked as Guido and Isabella performed the sign of the cross.

"Flying fish." Stella shrugged as the Doctor waved his UV light at them, then Stella used her sonic abilities to reveal their true appearance.

"What's happened to them? Is that what happened to you?" Guido looked to his daughter.

"There's nothing left of them. They've been fully converted." The Doctor said as the fish girls closed in.

"Will I…?" Isabella looked at them fearfully.

"We got to you before they were able to finish it and now it's been reversed." Stella gestured to her now peach colored patch, glad to see it had worked. "You won't end up like that."

"Blimey, fish from space have never been so buxom." The Doctor said then looked to Stella who had raised an eyebrow at him. "Uh…not that I'm looking, I only have eyes for your…."

Stella clamped her hand over his mouth, her face beat red.

"Stop talking, move, now." Stella ordered, the Doctor nodding quickly.

"Come on." Rory said as they made a run for it, Guido grabbing a small barrel of gunpowder pulling the stopper from it allowing it to spill out.

"Give me the lamp." Guido grabbed the portable sunlight from the Doctor forcing the fish girls back, the gunpowder still spilling from his barrel as they ran down the stairs.

"Go, go, go, guys. Keep moving." The Doctor urged them on, his hand firmly grasping Stella's as they ran, Amy, Rory and Isabella running ahead of them. "Go, go, go."

"Stay away from the door." Guido ordered them, closing the door behind them.

"Guido, what are you doing?" The Doctor questioned, then his eyes went wide when Guido threw the lamp on the ground lighting the trail of gunpowder that led all the way to his vast collection of barrels. He almost ran into the Doctor and Stella as he turned to spring away, grabbing them and pulling them along.

"Come on. Come on. Come on." The Doctor, Stella, and Guido ran away, very fast.

"We are Venetians!" Guido called out right before the explosion erupted throughout the building sending them all to the ground.

-0-

Rosanna walked purposefully into her throne room and straight up to her throne.

"Right. To begin, let's fill the sky with fire." Rosanna opened one of the ornaments on the arm of her throne and pressed a button. Instantly gas spewed from a tower on the corner of the house, creating a sudden violent thunderstorm. Rosanna went out to the balcony overlooking the coming chaos that began to consume the city. "Yes."

"In sight of the Lord, protect and keep us." A man called out as the people of Venice were sent into a panic many performing the sign of the cross. Guido, Stella, and the Doctor stood up brushing the debris off from the explosion, the others running up to them.

"Rosanna's initiating the final phase." Stella noted the angry sky.

"We need to stop her. Come on." Amy said right away, but the Doctor stopped her.

"No, no, no. Get back to the Tardis." The Doctor shook his head.

"You can't stop her on your own." Amy argued.

"We don't discuss this." The Doctor nearly yelled. "I tell you to do something, Amy, and you do it. Huh?"

"Stella…" Amy tried, hoping she would back her up.

"No Amy, you do as the Doctor says, go back to the Tardis now." Stella said sternly as the red head looked between them feeling betrayed, angry tears in her eyes before she turned storming off.

"Thank you." Rory said to them in relief before running off after Amy.

"You're welcome." The Doctor mumbled.

"Guido, you and Isabella need to get to safety as well, go quickly." Stella told them.

"Thank you Doctor, Stella, for saving our lives." Guido and Isabella hugged them each in turn.

"It's what we do, now go." Stella replied before they ran off.

"Come along Stella, time to go fishing." The Doctor said as they took hold of each other's hands and ran off to Rosanna's home.

-0-

Francesco opened the gates across from where Amy and Rory had paused looking to the sky in shock and horror. He eyed them for a moment as recognition flashed across his eyes and he started to take of his hat and cape.

"Oh my God, what is going on?" Amy asked as a rumbled of thunder and another crash of lightening streaked across the sky.

"The sky, it's like it's boiling." Rory said before Amy took off running again with Rory following as fast as he could, Francesco diving into the canal swimming after them.

-0-

The Doctor and Stella walked into the throne room and up to the throne itself opening the back of it revealing the high tech inner workings. The Doctor ran his sonic over it, but before they could get a reading they were interrupted.

"You're too late." Rosanna said as she walked into the room. "Such determination, just to save one city." Rosanna glided up to them, the Doctor staying on the steps so he towered over her. "Hard to believe it's the same man that let an entire race turn to cinders and ash." Rosanna grinned as she looked up at the sound of the storm. "Now you can watch as my people take their new kingdom."

"The girls have gone, Rosanna." The Doctor told her.

"You're lying." Rosanna's face fell.

"Shouldn't we be dead, hmm?" Stella pointed out.

"Rosanna, please, help us." The Doctor pleaded as she stormed out of the throne room. "There are two hundred thousand people in this city."

"So save them." Rosanna didn't even look back as she departed.

The Doctor and Stella raced outside onto the balcony looking at the raging storm spreading over the city. Down below it people were running scared as cracks of lightening and rolls of thunder echoed all around them with the wind bellowing hard. The Doctor looked up to the bell tower which had begun to ring then grabbed Stella's hand pulling her back inside.

-0-

Amy and Rory ran through the pathways of the labyrinth like city when through an arch way came Francesco cutting them off. They backed away as he advanced then Rory picked up two candlesticks holding them out as a cross.

"Amy, run." Rory called out as he stood between the fish boy and Amy. Francesco knocked the candlesticks out of Rory's hands then turned towards Amy instead of pursuing Rory. "This way, you freak. No!" Rory called out trying to get away from his fiancé. "This way, you big, stupid, great SpongeBob." Rory struggled to think of something to say to get Francesco's attention. "The only thing I've seen uglier than you is your…Mum."

"Huh?" That got Francesco's attention. He froze then turned around angrily looking to Rory who went a bit pale in the face.

"No." Rory backed away as Francesco advanced.

"Did you just say something about Mummy?" He demanded as Rory looked around desperately for a weapon.

He picked up the only thing he could find, a broomstick and jabbed it towards Francesco who watched him unimpressed, then Rory waved it around in what was supposed to be some sort of fighting style. Francesco drew his very real sword and did the same with much more skill and a very uneven fight ensued.

"Careful. Careful." Rory did his best to black the blows. Okay, hit him." Amy called out and Rory jabbed him with the bristles causing no damage what-so-ever, then Amy decided to change tactics and ran through an archway. "This way, bring him this way. Rory!"

The broomstick got chopped in half, but Rory managed to entangle Francesco in some washing hanging from a line then jumped back as Francesco sliced through with his sword.

"Oh. Oh, you stink of fish." Rory wrinkled his nose as he backed away through an archway

"Well, I'm hardly going to smell of cheese and biscuits." Francesco snarled stalking after Rory to where Amy had run.

Rory then tripped back hitting his head hard on the cobblestone ground. Francesco transformed into his true self as he leapt on him intent to end the nurse's life. The fish boy pinned him to the ground and was about to take a chunk of him when Amy called out to them.

"Hey, Mummy's boy!" Amy used her compact mirror to direct sunlight onto Francesco, who instantly burned and exploded, covering Rory with fish ashes.

"Oh." Rory said in disgust as he stood up coughing up some of the ash and trying to dust it from his clothes.

"That was lucky." Amy said closing her compact before racing down the stairs to Rory as he came up them. "Why did you make the sign of the cross, you numpty?"

"Oh. Oh, right, I'm being reviewed now, am I?" Rory said in annoyance that soon dissipated after Amy gave him a passionate kiss.

"Mmm." Amy hummed as they parted. "Now we go help the Doctor and Stella."

"Righty-ho." Rory followed her in a slight daze.

-0-

The rain was pourng hard now as Amy and Rory ran through the crowd toward Rosanna's house. They weaved through an onslaught of screaming terrified Venetians until they came to the front gates.

"Open the gate!" Carlo dragged out a bag filled with gold objects the guards obeying then abandoning their post when they saw that Carlo was making a run for it. Amy and Rory dashed past them through the gates into the house as Carlo tried to gather up his dropped objects.

"It's the Almighty. Look at the sky!" A man called out.

"Get out." Stella ordered upon seeing them running at the same time she and the Doctor came back in from the balcony. "We need to stabilize the storm."

"We're not leaving you." Rory said sternly making the Doctor come out from behind the throne walking over to them agitatedly followed by Stella.

"Right, so one minute it's all you make people a danger to themselves, and the next it's we're not leaving you. But if one of you gets squashed or blown up or eaten, who gets the…" The Doctor's rant was cut off as the house shook violently, knocking them off their feet, only the Doctor remaining on his feet.

"What was that?" Rory asked from where he lay.

"Nothing. Bit of an earthquake." The Doctor brushed him off as he helped Stella back to her feet.

"An earthquake?" Amy echoed in slight alarm as she sat up.

"Manipulate the elements, it can trigger earthquakes." The Doctor explained. "But don't worry about them."

"No?" Rory said in cautious relief as he and Amy stood up.

"No." Stella assured him with a sighing giggle causing them to relax a bit until she went on talking. "Worry about the tidal waves caused by the earthquake."

"Right, Rosanna's throne is the control hub but she's locked the program, so, tear out every single wire and circuit in the throne." The Doctor told them turning back to the throne. "Go crazy. Hit it with a stick, anything." The Doctor ran back up to the throne with the others following. "We need it to shut down and re-route control to the secondary hub, which I'm guessing will also be the generator."

"Be careful." Stella called out as the Doctor ran off blowing her a quick kiss before he left. With a sigh Stella looked to the chair then reared back her fist before sending it straight through is repeatedly, then she picked it up smashing it on the ground until it was in shambles while Amy and Rory watched wide eyed. "Well that's done…" Stella dusted off her hands then noticed the looks. "What? It's been very stressful lately." Stella started to run outside with the others following. "Now, let's go see how my fiancé is doing."

-0-

The Doctor searched for the secondary hub following a thick wire up a set of stone stairs to the bell tower, where the bells were rocking and ringing. The Doctor yelled out in annoyance and pain clamping his hands over his ears as he went the rest of the way up and grabbed onto the clapper.

"Shut up. Shut up." The Doctor chanted until it finally went silent. "That's better." The Doctor started to climb up the outside to the big metal lightning conductor, with the help of the thick power cable. "Oh. Oh. Okay."

"There he is." Rory pointed up to where the Doctor was. "Come on."

"You can do it love." Stella said as the Doctor opened the brass ball to reveal clockwork.

"Come on." Rory and Amy chanted.

The Doctor found a tiny switch and stopped the mechanism. Instantly the rain ceased, the clouds vanished and birds started singing again as the people cheered and applauded.

"You did it!" Rory called out as he and Amy jumped for joy.

"That's my Doctor!" Stella clapped he hands together before rushing back into the house to find the Doctor.

-0-

Rosanna could not turn her perception filter off leaving her in human form, the realization causing her face to fall into great sadness. She undressed quickly glancing over her shoulder from time to time then she approached the water walking onto the plank in her under white gown.

"Rosanna!" The Doctor called out as he stopped at the archway.

"One city to save an entire species. Was that so much to ask?" Rosanna asked tearfully as she stood on the plank looking down at the churning water, the calls of her children coming up from the depths.

"I told you, you can't go back and change time. You mourn, but you live. I know, Rosanna. I did it." The Doctor tried to reason with her as he slowly approached the plank.

"Tell me, Doctor. Can your conscience carry the weight of another dead race?" Rosanna looked back to him. "Remember us." The Doctor was almost to the plank. "Dream of us."

Rosanna stepped off the plank into the water as the Doctor leapt onto the plank to grab her, but missed and the water churned as her sons unknowingly consumed their mother.

"No! No!" The Doctor called out from the edge of the plank as Stella ran in just in time to see what happened. Stella walked up to the plank as the Doctor continued to stare horrified into the canal, the water going deathly still.

"Theta." Stella said softly as he stood up slowly backing back off the blank, his eyes never leaving the canal. When he was back on the stone ground Stella wrapped her arms around him, his arms automatically wrapping around her as well, tightly clinging to her for comfort.

"I couldn't save her, I can't save them…" The Doctor mumbled into her hair.

"Stagnum." Stella said as she leaned back looking up at him.

"What?" The Doctor looked down at her in confusion.

"The planet of interconnecting lakes, they'd be more than willing to accept them into their home, we can take them there and they will live on. Plus they owe me a favor or two." Stella explained with a wide smile. The Doctor let out a cheer as he scooped Stella up swinging her around before setting her back on the ground and kissing her deeply. "I see you approve of my idea."

"Very much so my precious Starlight." The Doctor said as they rushed off to make the arrangements. "After all we can't leave vampire fish swimming throughout the canals Venice."

-0-

The Inspector gave the Doctor his deepest, most respectful bow as they walked by back to the Tardis. The people of Venice were recovering all around them gathering up what they could from the wreckage that was left in the wake of the storm.

"Now then, what about you two, eh? Next stop Leadworth Registry Office. Maybe I can give you away." The Doctor grinned as he walked quickly ahead of them hand in hand with Stella. "And Stella can be maid of honor."

"Sweet." Stella smiled as they stopped outside the Tardis.

"It's fine. Drop me back where you found me. I'll just say you've…" Rory sighed noticing Amy's pensive look as she avoided his gaze.

"Stay. With us. Please. Just for a bit." Amy pleaded with him making him smile a bit before he looked to the Doctor and Stella. "I want you to stay."

"Fine with me." The Doctor said wrapping his arm around Stella holding her close.

"I've love it." Stella agreed resting her head against his shoulder.

"Yeah? Yes, I would like that." Rory's smile grew.

"Nice one. I will pop the kettle on." Amy smiled before looping her arm through Stella's "Hey, look at this Stella. Got our spaceship, got our boys. Our work here is done."

"Oh Amy, our work only starting with those two." Stella laughed as she and Amy went into the Tardis. "Come on, I'll help you with the tea."

"You can get the mugs." Amy said right away.

"Seriously! I am not that bad, I can at least make tea." Stella said in annoyance.

"Er, we are not their boys." Rory said as he stepped into the doorway.

"Yeah, we are." The Doctor clapped him on the back.

"Yeah, we are." Rory nodded and then suddenly, Venice was empty of people, empty of sound, empty of life.

"Rory, listen to that." The Doctor said tensely as he stopped Rory from going inside.

"Er, what? All I can hear is silence." Rory said with a shrug.

' _There were cracks. Through some we saw Silence and the end of all things.'_

"Look out!" Stella broke the silence as she dashed past the Doctor out of the Tardis with a flaming kettle in hand which she tossed into the water.

"What…?" The Doctor started as he and Rory looked to her wide eyed.

"Don't say a single word." Stella stomped back into the Tardis grumbling under her breath about stupid flammable objects.

"But it was metal, how did she set metal on fire?" Rory asked as the Doctor chuckled lightly shaking his head before they stepped into the Tardis and took off.

-0-

Stella whistled as she sat in the Tardis garden laying out book in hand enjoying the peaceful day that had been set up for her. The garden room had an artificial weather system and sky that supported the various plant life that grew there making it the perfect area for brain storming. There were different types of regions that were acclimated for the types of vegetation that grew there as well as areas with different seasons. You could step from summer to winter in just a few strides.

Stella was currently in the garden filled with wild flowers, stone paths, thick green grass, and with the wisteria trees in full bloom all around her. She lay under a massive tree that was laden with the amazing flowers of the wisteria tree, all in vary shades of purple and pink.

"Oh my…" Amy breathed out gaining Stella's attention as she sat her book aside. The cyborg looked over watching as Amy and Rory came over an oriental styled bridge that stretched across a gentle river nearby and lead to her spot under the tree.

"Are we still on the Tardis?" Rory questioned.

"Yep." Stella called out as she waved them over.

"This is amazing." Amy said as she ran over to Stella pulling Rory along with her, only to let go of his hand when she came under the tree spinning around under the falling petals.

"It's one of my favorite rooms beside the theatre and roller rink." Stella smiled as she fell back so she was lying on the ground causing some of the petals to whirl up around her.

"Roller rink?" Rory echoed as Amy lay out next to Stella, Rory following putting his arms behind his head.

"How many rooms has the Tardis got?" Amy asked.

"As many as we need, you think it and the Tardis can do it if she wants." Stella replied.

"If she wants?" Rory asked.

"Oh yeah, the Tardis is completely sentient." Stella informed them. "Feeling, thoughts, everything, she is alive."

"Whoah." Amy and Rory said at the same time.

"Yeah." Stella agreed.

"What else is there in the Tardis?" Amy asked.

"Oh, well, let's see…" Stella hummed a bit. "There's a movie theatre, arcade room, some dance club rooms depending on what time period or planet you're shooting for, bowling room, a couple of sport fields, the wardrobe, the library, swimming pool, music room…"

"Bet that's one of your favorites." Amy pointed out.

"Of course." Stella nodded. "There's a lot more, but it's more fun to find them for yourself."

"There you all are?! What are you doing in here?" The Doctor strolled over to them.

"Enjoying a nice artificial spring day." Stella replied patting the ground beside her and the Doctor plopped down unceremoniously next to her laying his head on her stomach. Stella rolled her eyes at him and started to run one of her hands through his hair making him hum in contentment.

"So what were we talking about before I showed up?" The Doctor asked.

"The Tardis and her magnificence." Stella replied easily.

"Do you really have an infinite number of rooms in here?" Rory asked the time lord.

"Depends on how you look at." The Doctor replied resting his hand on his stomach as he crossed his legs at the ankle.

"Depends how?" Amy asked.

"Well, it depends on how many rooms you can think of really." The Doctor shrugged.

"Really? Any room I think of, she can make appear?" Amy sat up.

"Yep." The Doctor nodded, the book catching his attention. "But you need to be specific."

"I made a ball room once, but wasn't specific." Stella said with a wince as she recalled the copious amounts of rubber balls cascading out of her new ball room. "It was like middle school dodgeball meets the apocalypse." Stella shook her head of the thoughts. "So what's our next adventure?"

"So glad you asked, come along you three." The Doctor sprung to his feet leading the others out of the room pulling Stella along by her hand and onto the console room for their next destination. "How do you lot feel about the Continuum Cascade of Regal Nine?"


	7. Chapter 7

In the quiet countryside, a cockerel crows, birds take wing, and a gentle breeze stirs the trees. Everything was calm, peaceful, and perfectly serene. It was the ideal place to settle down with your loved one, raise a family, and then slowly decay for the rest of your days with never a single thing happening to you.

In a small quaint picturesque cottage house a very heavily pregnant Amy was mixing ingredients for cupcakes in a bowl humming happily to herself as the TV played in the background, when she suddenly put the bowl down with a thud, gasping in pain, her eyes wide.

"Rory!" Amy yelled holding her stomach as she panicked. Long haired Rory returned home on his bicycle hopping of with a happy smile just in time to hear her yelling his name. "Rory, it's starting!"

"Ah. Okay, okay." Rory stumbled throwing his bike to the ground trying to decide what to do before he finally dashed into the house. He sprinted into the kitchen only to find Amy sitting contentedly eating her cake mix from the bowl balanced on her stomach.

"False alarm." Amy said as she licked cake mix from the spoon.

"What?" Rory questioned.

"Well, I don't know what it feels like. I've never had a baby before." Amy said sticking the spoon with the cake mix on it into Rory's mouth. Rory stood back to his feet as the sound of the Tardis materializing filled the room making Amy's eyes widen, the spoon falling back into the bowl. "No."

"I know, leaf blowers." Rory said rolling his eyes then raised his voice. "Use a rake."

"No, it's…" Amy breathed out as the Tardis parked herself directly outside the front window, Rory's jaw dropping. "I knew. I just knew."

-0-

The Doctor opened the Tardis door sticking his head out with a frown. He stepped down over a small rockery to get out tripping as he did breaking some of the stones off. He turned back to the TARDIS holding his hand out to Stella and helped down while complaining about the rockery.

Stella was wearing a turquoise button up sleeveless tunic dress with a crème colored paisley design that reached down to her knees ending in a crème colored lace design. She also had on a pair of shin high brown fringed heelless boots, a thin braided brown belt and a brown faux leather fringed vest that reached down to her knees. Her hair was hanging in long loose curls with a blue and crème colored rose pinned behind her right ear holding the hair there back.

"It's just silly putting such a short wall up." The Doctor grumbled.

"Where are we? This looks nothing like a planet made of rock candy." Stella said as she looked around her eyes squinting in the light, rolling a lollipop around in her mouth.

"No, you're right, we're on Earth." He said scratching the back of his head.

"Rory!" Stella called out excitedly as soon as she spotted him coming out of the house.

"Stella, Doctor." Rory said coming up to them hugging them both.

"We've crushed your flowers." The Doctor said pointing to the flower box the TARDIS was parked on.

"We? What do you mean we? You were driving." Stella pointed out rolling he eyes.

"Oh, Amy will kill you." Rory said still smiling.

"We're married now, I thought that meant we shared everything." The Doctor pouted as he wrapped his arm around her waist.

"That depends on how bad whatever you did is and angering Amy is very, very bad." Stella commented then looked back to Rory. "Where is she?"

"She'll need a bit longer." Rory replied.

"Whenever you're ready, Amy." The Doctor called out and Amy waddled out with a bright smile.

"Oh Amy!" Stella gasped and rushed over hugging Amy close as she could. "You look beautiful."

"Oh, way-hey! You've swallowed a planet." The Doctor commented as he and Rory joined them.

"I'm pregnant." Amy said with a laugh.

"You're huge." The Doctor continued.

"Yeah, I'm pregnant." Amy said losing some of her humor.

"Look at you. When worlds collide." The Doctor kept on.

"Doctor, I'm pregnant." Amy deadpanned.

"Oh, look at you both. Five years later and you haven't changed a bit, apart from age and size." The Doctor said smiling brightly.

"Oh, it's good to see you both." Amy said smiling.

"Are you pregnant?" The Doctor asked making Stella roll her eyes in amusement.

"Well I'm glad you're here." Amy said as the Doctor wrapped his arms around Stella from behind resting his chin on her shoulder, his hands resting gently against her stomach, and her hands covering his.

"Other than the obvious reason, why are you glad?" Stella asked leaning her head back against the Doctor's shoulder.

"You never picked up your wedding pictures." Amy said with a large smile, Stella's mirroring hers. "Not to mention the film."

"Really?! Oh that's wonderful." Stella smiled as Amy grabbed Stella's hand and pulled her from the Doctor into the house, the men following watching in amusement as the two women poured over the pictures then they started up the film.

-0-

It was a nice day in the small quiet town. There was some cloud coverage and a small breeze that kept the temperature cool, even the occasional drizzle of snow. The only thing that was strange was the lack of people, it almost seemed deserted.

"Ah, Leadworth. Vibrant as ever." The Doctor said as they walked down the street his arm around Stella's waist holding her close as she leaned against him.

"It's Upper Leadworth, actually. We've gone slightly upmarket." Rory said happily.

"Where is everyone?" The Doctor asked.

"This is busy." The Doctor and Stella gave her a look. "Okay, it's quiet, but it's really restful and healthy." Amy said defensively. "Loads of people here live well into their nineties."

"Well, don't let that get you down." The Doctor said consolingly.

"It's not getting me down." Amy said quickly.

"Well, I wanted to see how you were. You know me; I don't just abandon people when they leave the Tardis. This Time Lord's for life. You don't get rid of your old pal the Doctor so easily and Stella wouldn't stop bugging me about it, you know women." The Doctor said then grunted slightly when Stella elbowed him in the side.

"Hmm. You came here by mistake, didn't you?" Amy said eyeing him.

"Yeah, bit of a mistake." The Doctor admitted rubbing his side with a bashful look. "But look, what a result. Look at this bench. What a nice bench. What will they think of next?" The Doctor sat down on the bench with Rory on one side and Amy on the other. Stella moved around to the wall behind them and hopping up sitting on top of it behind the Doctor. She rested her chin on one of her hands, her elbow on her knee, and with her free hand she started to lightly run her fingers through his hair making him hum in pleasure, her feet resting on the back of the bench. "So….what do you do around here to stave off the, you know…"

"Boredom." Amy supplied.

"Insanity." Stella offered.

"Self-harm." The Doctor said.

"We relax." Rory said. The Doctor mouthed the word relax like it was a bad taste in his mouth. "We live. We listen to the birds."

"Yeah, see? Birds. Those are nice." Amy said in an unconvincing voice.

"We didn't get time to listen to birdsong back in the Tardis days, did we?" The Doctor said, playing along.

"The birds are very loud." Stella commented with a wince.

"Oh blimey, my head's a bit. Ooo. Er, no, you're right, there wasn't a lot of time for birdsong back in the good old…" Rory, Amy, Stella, and the Doctor fell asleep.

-0-

"Days…what? No, yes, sorry, what?" The Doctor woke up hard on the console floor, the one just beside the glass floor near Stella who had been slumped over on the chair, her rose colored glasses hanging from one ear.

"What…" Stella's eyes fluttered open as she glanced around in confusion slipping her glasses back on, the Doctor snapping to his feet as he whirled around looking up when a short haired Rory and non-pregnant Amy entered the console room also extremely confused.

Stella was wearing a pair of dark blue harem pants with a maroon pattern, a layered white knit high neck backless crop top tank top, and a pair of brown gladiator sandals. Her hair was up in a high ponytail decorated with maroon and dark blue feathers hanging down from her ponytail accented with small gold beads.

"Oh, you're okay. Oh, thank God. I had a terrible nightmare about you two." The Doctor braced himself against the console. "That was scary. Don't ask. You don't want to know." The Doctor gestured toward them. "You're safe now."

"Oh, okay." Amy patted the Doctor on the back as he ran over to her and hugged her, then he snapped his finger pointing to Rory.

"That's what counts. Blimey. Never dropped off like that before. Well, never, really." The Doctor ranted. Stella ran a hand through her hair looking around in confusion letting out a small surprised yelp when the Doctor spun her around in his arms before leading her over to the console. Amy kept touching her stomach and sneaking glances at the back of Rory's head. "I'm getting on a bit, you see. Don't let the cool gear fool you." The Doctor said looking down at the console. "Now, what's wrong with the console? Red flashing lights."

"I bet they mean something." Stella commented looking over the lights then they ducked under the console, trying to find the problem.

"Er, Doctor, I also had a kind of dream thing." Rory said hesitantly.

"Yeah, so did I." Amy said as well.

"Not a nightmare, though, just, er, we were married." Rory said quickly smiling at Amy.

"Yeah. In a little village." Amy said with a frown. The Doctor's eyes snapped up to Stella's and she nodded slowly answering his unasked question, she had had the dream as well.

"A sweet little village, and you were pregnant." Rory said still smiling happily as The Doctor and Stella stood up moving around the console back to their companions.

"Yes, I was huge. I was a boat." Amy said looking down at her stomach.

"So you had the same dream, then? Exactly the same dream?" Rory said as the Doctor looked at the back of Rory's hair.

"Are you calling me a boat?" Amy said eyeing Rory in a threatening way. Stella leaned back against the console with her arms crossed watching them with furrowed brows.

"And Doctor, you and Stella were visiting." Rory said quickly changing the subject as the Doctor looked at Amy's flat stomach.

"Yeah, yeah, you came to our cottage." Amy said making Stella smile a bit. "We were watching wedding videos."

"How can we have the same dream?" Rory questioned. "It doesn't make any sense."

"And you had a nightmare about us. What happened to us in the nightmare?" Amy asked slowly, fearful of the answer.

"It was a bit similar, in some aspects." The Doctor said as Stella walked up next to him.

"Which aspects?" Rory asked.

"Well, all of them." The Doctor answered honestly.

"You had the same dream." Amy said.

"Basically." The Doctor replied.

"And so did I." Stella added with a frown as she placed her hands on her hips looking to the Doctor. "But you said it was a nightmare."

"Well there were some very good parts." The Doctor said quickly as he took her left hand kissing the back of it. "Very, very good."

"Indeed they were." Stella smiled wrapping her arms around him.

"Some parts?" Rory said with an offended look.

"Look, it doesn't matter. We all had some kind of psychic episode. We probably jumped a time track or something. Forget it. We're back to reality now." The Doctor said, as bird song once again sounded.

"Doctor? If we're back to reality, how come I can still hear birds?" Stella asked in confusion.

"Yeah, the same birds. The same ones we heard in the…" Rory trailed off as everyone fell asleep.

-0-

"Dream. Oh! Sorry. Nodded off. Stupid. God, I must be overdoing it." Rory jerked awake, his voice thick with sleep, then there was a subtle thud behind them. "Stella?"

The Doctor turned standing on top of the bench peering over the wall with his hands braced against it. Stella was on the other side of the wall having fallen into some bushes when she woke up.

"Owie." Stella groaned as she struggled to get up, but was tangled in the bushes. She looked up at the chuckling Doctor with a pout holding out her hands to him.

"Are you ok?" The Doctor leaned down taking her hands and pulling her up.

"I'm fine." Stella grumbled hopping back over the wall, the Doctor shaking his head with another chuckle before walking away a bit when his attention was peeked. Stella's let out an annoyed sigh as she followed him picking leaves and sticks out of her hair. "I need a diagnostics run, I must have fallen asleep on the wall."

"I fell asleep to; I was dreaming we were back on the Tardis." Rory said tiredly then saw Stella and Amy's looks. "You both had the same dream, didn't you?"

"I did." Stella confirmed, her eyes on the alert now.

"Weren't we just saying the same thing?" Amy said as the Doctor examined a pebble.

"But we thought this was the dream, didn't we?" Rory said. The Doctor threw the pebble as Amy struggled to her feet along with Rory.

"I think so. Why do dreams have to fade so quickly?" Amy asked her hands going to her stomach.

"Doctor, what is going on?" Stella asked as she walked over to him gripping his hand.

"Is this because of you? Is this some Time Lordy thing because you've both shown up again?" Amy asked also walking over to him followed by Rory.

"Listen to me. Trust nothing. From now on, trust nothing you see, hear or feel." The Doctor ordered as he held Stella close.

"But we're awake now." Rory argued.

"Yeah, you thought you were awake on the Tardis, too." Stella pointed out with a calculating look.

"But we're home." Amy said as the birds started to sing again.

"Yeah, you're home. You're also dreaming. Trouble is, Rory, Amy, which is which? Are we flashing forwards or backwards?" The Doctor paced a bit. "Hold on tight. This is going be a tricky one."

-0-

Stella's eyes snapped open glancing around the console room, her eyes falling on the Doctor who was currently lying on top of her, his face nuzzling into her chest, and his hands messaging her bare sides were her crop top didn't cover. Her face went bright red and her skin broke out in goosebumps as she heard Amy and Rory coming to.

"Doctor, wake up!" Stella shook him.

"No, don't wanna." The Doctor mumbled, tightening his hold on her.

"Doctor!" Stella snapped and the Doctor jolted awake realizing where he was.

"Uh…" The Doctor looked up at her his ears red.

"Maybe we should get up?" Stella offered with an amused smile.

"Right." The Doctor shot to his feet, then helped Stella up. "Sorry."

"I'm not." Stella grinned before moving over to the console.

The Doctor's mouth opened and closed a few times before he straightened his bow tie following her. Rory and Amy soon joined them, but no matter what they tried nothing on the console was telling them what they wanted to know.

"Oh, this is bad. I don't like this." The Doctor kicked the console, and hurt his leg. He hopped on his un-injured leg holding onto Stella for balance. "Argh. Never use force. You just embarrass yourself. Unless you're cross, in which case, always use force."

"Shall I run and get the manual?" Amy asked.

"I threw it in a supernova." The Doctor said as he ran around down the stairs under the glass floor.

"You threw the manual in a supernova? Why?" Amy asked leaning over the railing.

"Because he disagreed with it." Stella replied with a teasing look.

"Stop talking to me when I'm cross." The Doctor called out as he pointed at them through the floor making Stella shake her head in amusement.

"Okay, but whatever's wrong with the Tardis, is that what caused us to dream about the future?" Rory asked.

"If we were dreaming of the future." The Doctor said grabbing some tools.

"Well, of course we were. We were in Leadworth." Amy said in an exasperated voice.

"Upper Leadworth." Rory corrected.

"Wow, upper, swanky." Stella mumbled exchanging a look with Amy that screamed a sarcastic whoop-d-doo.

"Yeah, and we could still be in Upper Leadworth, dreaming of this. Don't you get it?" The Doctor said running back up to the console.

"No, okay? No, this is real. I'm definitely awake now." Amy said as the Doctor handed her a wrench and another tool to Rory, both made of old dark metal.

"And you thought you were definitely awake when you were all elephanty." The Doctor said gesturing with his hands and puffing out his cheeks.

"Hey. Pregnant." Amy said holding the wrench in a threatening manner.

"And you could be giving birth right now. This could be the dream." The Doctor said as he edged away behind Stella who took the tools back from Amy and Rory.

"He told you. Trust nothing we see or hear or feel." Stella rolled her eyes handing the tools back to the Doctor.

"Look around you. Examine everything." The Doctor set the tools down on the console. "Look for all the details that don't ring true."

"Okay, we're in a spaceship that's bigger on the inside than the outside." Rory pointed out.

"With a bow tie-wearing alien and a human turned cyborg turned time lord cyborg." Amy listed off with a look as she leaned against the console.

"So maybe what rings true isn't so simple." Rory said as the Doctor and Stella glanced at each other.

"Valid point." The Doctor conceded before the Tardis suddenly switched off leaving just a faint glow from the time rotor behind.

"What just happened?" Stella asked nervously as she stood closer to the Doctor.

"It's dead. We're in a dead time machine." The Doctor said taking Stella's hand as a bird sings. Rory ran over to Amy's side holding her close as Stella clung to the Doctor's hand their fingers laced together. "Remember, this is real. But when we wake up in the other place, remember how real this feels."

"It is real. I know it's real." Amy said certainly before they all passed out again.

-0-

A teacher leads a crocodile of schoolchildren past while the church clock is chimed. Rory and Amy woke up on a bench outside the Library, the Doctor and Stella not standing too far off still looking for clues as to what was happening to them.

"Okay, this is the real one. Definitely this one. It's all solid." Amy said rubbing her stomach and slapping Rory's hand away when he went to touch her stomach as well.

"It felt solid in the Tardis too." Stella pointed out bouncing on her feet a bit as she looked to the ground.

"You can't spot a dream while you're having it." The Doctor added as he waved his hand in front of his face.

"What are you doing?" Rory asked watching the time travelers curiously.

"Looking for motion blur, pixilation. It could be a computer simulation. The Doctor pinched Rory's cheeks. "I don't think so, though."

"The ground feels alright as well, normal for roads." Stella placed her fingers against her right temple, her eye flashing. "All of my scans show me nothing that could help us in our current predicament." Stella bit her lip in frustration as a little old woman walked up to them on her way by. "Nothing feels the tiniest bit off except for the whole situation."

"Hello, Doctor." The elderly woman said with a smile.

"Hi/Hello." Rory and the Doctor said at the same time.

"You're a doctor." The Doctor said looking at Rory in surprise.

"Yeah. And unlike you, I've actually passed some exams." Rory smarted off, no one noticing the old woman casting glances at them as she walked on down the road.

"A doctor, not a nurse. Just like you've always dreamed." The Doctor pointed out thoughtfully, going the opposite way of the old lady. "How interesting."

"What is?" Rory asked.

"Well that would explain why both seem so real." Stella said tapping her lip with her index finger.

"What are you two talking about?" Rory asked a little more sternly stopping them in front of a two story building.

"Your dream wife, your dream job, probably your dream baby." The Doctor said looking to Rory. "Maybe this is your dream."

"It's Amy's dream too." Rory said looking to Amy who looked less than sure. "Isn't it, Amy?"

"Yes." Amy said quickly, not meeting his gaze. "Course it is, yeah."

"What's that?" The Doctor asked suddenly pointing randomly changing the subject.

"Old people's home." Amy replied. The sign outside said SARN Residential Care Home, many of the residents were starring out at them through the windows.

"You said everyone here lives to their nineties." The Doctor said, turning to look at the building. "There's something here that doesn't make sense. Let's go and poke it with a stick."

The Doctor ran off with an excited grin, followed by a frustrated Rory.

"Oh. Can we not do the running thing?" Amy complained.

"We can walk; they can handle themselves for a few minutes." Stella said looping her arm through Amy's as they walked along behind the men.

"You think?" Amy said in disbelief.

"Well at least it won't be too big of a problem that I can't fix by the time we get there." Stella replied as she and Amy laughed walking into the elderly home. It was a very homey old folk's home, a living room of some kind which was filled with elderly setting about their daily lives. Some were reading, working on crafts, or just sitting idly watching the day go by.

"Oh hello, Doctor Williams." Some of the elderly called out greeting Rory.

"Hello, Rory love." Mrs. Poggit smiled.

"Hello, Mrs. Poggit. How's your hip?" Rory smiled back as Amy and Stella came in joining them.

"A bit stiff." Mrs. Poggit replied.

"Oh, easy, D-96 compound, plus…" The Doctor started, but Stella cut him off.

"Doctor, they don't have that yet." Stella said softly as he made an o shape with his mouth in realization.

"Oh right, forget that." The Doctor said quickly.

"Who's your friend? A junior doctor?" Mrs. Poggit asked causing the Doctor to grin at the absurdity.

"Yes." Rory said slowly shooting as he looked to the Doctor.

"Can I borrow you? You're the size of my grandson." Mrs. Poggit asked and the Doctor knelt down while she slipped the sweater she was knitting over his head causing his hair to get messed up.

"Slightly keen to move on. Freak psychic schism to sort out." The Doctor said then leaned in really close to Mrs. Poggit who leaned back with a wide eyed look. "You're incredibly old, aren't you?"

The rest of the residents in the lounge stared at him for a tense moment, then the birdsong started causing them all to fall asleep, at least in that world.

-0-

They awoke with sharp starts once again in the Tardis, all of them leaning against the console, and all of them frustrated with the situation at hand.

"Okay, I hate this, Doctor. Stop it, because this is definitely real. It's definitely this one." Amy said adamantly then caught on to what she had said with a frown. "I keep saying that, don't I?"

"Yeah, a bit." Stella replied as the Doctor went up a level.

"It's bloody cold." Rory frowned as he rubbed his arms.

"The heating's off." The Doctor replied ducking down behind a short wall.

"The heating's off." Rory echoed bitterly.

"Yeah. Put on a jumper. That's what I always do." The Doctor called out.

"Er, yes. Sorry about Mrs Poggit." Rory apologized for the elderly lady. "She's so lovely though."

"I wouldn't believe her nice old lady act if I were you." The Doctor commented, peering at them through one of the round holes in the short wall.

"What do you mean, act?" Amy questioned.

"Everything's off. Sensors, core power. We're drifting." Stella said in agitation as she tried to work the console.

"The scanner's down so we can't even see out." The Doctor ran back down the stairs to them tossing aside a thin strip of metal. "We could be anywhere. Someone, something, is overriding my controls."

Suddenly a little balding man in a red bow tie and tweed jacket appeared on the stairs behind the Doctor. What hair he did have was very fine in thickness or lack thereof and color which was pale blonde, his face was covered in wrinkles, and his pale blue eyes were deeply set, but he was no alone.

At the base of the stairs a woman appeared with waist length jet black loosely curled frizzy hair in a halfway up style, some of it piled on top of her head giving it some volume. She wore a long sheer lace sleeved scooped neck backless black dress with a small train and a high slit up the side, a pair of strappy heels, and her eyes an entrancing glowing shade of gold lined in thick black. Her lips were blood red matching her nails and contrasting well with her otherwise completely black attire.

"Well, that took a while. Honestly, I'd heard such good things. Last of the Time Lords, the Oncoming Storm. Him in the bow tie." The little man scoffed as he walked down the stairs.

"Not to mention ginger over there, what's the use of having a computer for a brain if you never use it?" The woman in black said in a board voice.

"How did you get into my Tardis? What are you?" The Doctor demanded of them.

"What shall we call me? Well, if you're the Time Lord, let's call me the Dream Lord." The man introduced himself.

"Nice look." The Doctor commented.

"This? No, I'm not convinced. Bow ties?" DL winced.

"Well not just anyone can pull it off." Stella said before looking over to the woman. "And you?"

"Nyx at your service." Nyx said as she draped herself over one of the captain chairs. The Doctor took a ball from his pocket and threw it through the Dream Lord causing him to fizzle for a moment.

"Interesting. I'd love to be impressed, but Dream Lord. It's in the name, isn't it? Spooky." DL disappeared. "Not quite there." Then he popped up behind them, startling the companions and causing the time travelers to tense up. "And yet, very much here."

"Always so dramatic." Nyx rolled her eyes with a pout.

"I'll do the talking, thank you. Amy, want to take a guess at what those are?" The Doctor asked not letting his eyes stray from the new beings as his hand gripped Stella's keeping her close.

"Er, Dream Lord. He creates dreams." Amy guessed.

"Dreams, delusions, cheap tricks." Stella listed off.

"That's a bit hurtful." Nyx said twirling her hair.

"And Nyx, the Grecian goddess of night, although you're not her." Stella said as she eyes the other woman.

"Wow, you figure that one out all on your own?" Nyx scoffed dryly.

"And what about the gooseberry, here. Does he get a guess?" DL questioned.

"Er, listen, mate. If anyone's the gooseberry round here, it's the Doctor." Rory defended himself.

"Well now, there's a delusion I'm not responsible for." Dream Lord scoffed as Nyx laughed softly leaning back so she was hanging upside down still draped over the chair.

"No, he is. Isn't he, Amy." Rory looked to his fiancé. Amy was with him, the Doctor was the tag along, well he and Stella.

"Listen, no one is a gooseberry. If you hadn't noticed each of us has a significant other." Stella crossed her arms leaning against the Doctor who slipped his arm around her waist. "I'm with the Doctor, and Amy is with Rory, no gooseberry."

"But is who you're with who you want to be with?" Nyx taunted looking to Amy with a dark look causing Amy to squirm.

"Oh, Amy, have to sort your men out. Choose, even." DL commented lowly.

"I have chosen. Of course I've chosen." Amy was standing close to the Doctor, but she hit Rory in the stomach. "It's you, stupid."

"Oh, good. Thanks." Rory said in relief as the Dream Lord popped up behind them again next to Nyx.

"You can't fool me. I've seen your dreams. Some of them twice. Amy." Dl teased her as Amy glanced nervously around at the others. "Blimey, I'd blush if I had a blood supply or a real face."

"Get away from her." Stella ordered defensively.

"Oh Stella, defending the woman who kissed your fiancé and would have gone for more, trust me, how noble of you." Nyx rolled her eyes as she stood up sauntering closer to them, her curves accented by her tight dress. "Makes me wonder if you'd still be so forgiving of your precious Doctor and so called friend Amy if you realized how far she really wanted to go that night."

"Where did you pick up this cheap cabaret act?" The Doctor cut into the conversation.

"Me? Oh, you're on shaky ground." DL warned him with a wicked grin.

"Am I?" The Doctor asked.

"If you had any more tawdry quirks you could open up a Tawdry Quirk Shop. The madcap vehicle, the cockamamie hair, the clothes designed by a first-year fashion student, the fiancé made form spare parts." Dl gestured at them as the Doctor glanced round to the others. "I'm surprised you haven't got a little purple space dog just to ram home what an intergalactic wag you are." DL looked confused for a moment. "Where was I?"

"You were…" Rory started to supply.

"I know where I was." DL appeared on the upper level. "So, here's your challenge. Two worlds. Here, in the time machine, and there, in the village that time forgot." DL explained to them. "One is real, the other's fake."

"And just to make it more interesting, you're going to face in both worlds a deadly danger, but only one of the dangers is real." Nyx smiled cruelly as she leaned in real close to Roy, eyeing Amy out of the corner of her eye tauntingly.

"Tweet, tweet. Time to sleep." DL grinned as the birdsong filled the air forcing them down once again falling asleep though the Doctor tried to fight it. "Oh. Or are you waking up?"

-0-

When they awoke back in the old folk's home they found it completely deserted, the residents were gone. Before anyone could speak Nyx appeared close to Rory causing him to startle backwards into Amy.

"Hello handsome." Nyx smirked with a wink, Amy taking hold of Rory as she stepped between them, but Nyx just laughed appearing on Rory's other side.

"Oh, this is bad. This is very, very bad. Look at this X-ray. Your brain is completely see-through." DL walked into the room wearing a dark suit and tie then held up the x-ray to the light looking to the Doctor. "But then, I've always been able to see through you, Doctor."

"Always? What do you mean, always?" Amy questioned while eyeing Nyx who was remaining next to Rory, looking at him with searchlight eyes that went up and down Rory making him go red, really setting the Scottish girl on edge.

"Now then, the prognosis is this. If you die in the dream, you wake up in reality." DL informed them as the Doctor sat down, Stella sitting on his lap with his arms wrapped around her waist. "Healthy recovery in next to no time. Ask me what happens if you die in reality?"

"What happens?" Rory asked, glancing nervously at Nyx who was nibbling on her lip.

"You die, stupid. That's why it's called reality." DL answered condescendingly.

"Have you met them before? Do you know them? Doctor, Stella do they?" Amy looked between DL, Nyx, and the time travelers.

"Now don't get jealous. He's been around, our boy." DL shot Stella a sly grin which she replied to by sticking out her tongue.

"But never mind that. You've got a world to choose." Nyx walked a little way away from the group, her movements sultry to say the least as her eyes lingered on Rory much to Amy's continued displeasure.

"One reality was always too much for you both." Dl said with a grin looping his arm through Nyx's. "Take two and call me in the morning."

"And you can call me anytime Rory." Nyx blew him a kiss before she and DL disappeared.

"Okay, I don't like him." Rory said.

"What about Nyx?!" Amy snapped.

"Of course I don't like her either." Rory quickly stuttered out.

"Who are they?" Amy whirled around after shooting one last dirty look at Rory.

"Don't know. It's a big universe." Stella said with a sigh as she rubbed her face, trying not to focus on how similar Amy's situation with Nyx was like what she had gone through when Amy had kissed the Doctor.

"Why are they doing this?" Amy asked crossing her arms as Stella stood to her feet.

"Maybe because they have no physical form." The Doctor answered, looking down and realizing her was still in the knit sweater and took it off. "That gets you down after a while, so they're taking it out on folk like us who can touch and eat and feel."

"What do they mean, deadly danger, though? Nothing deadly has happened here. I mean, a bit of natural wastage, obviously." Rory said as the Doctor started to look around in realization.

"They've all gone." The Doctor said drawing the others to the fact that the room was devoid of the elderly. "They've all gone."

-0-

Directly opposite the care home was a play area and a ruined castle where a teacher was trying to keep control of the children as they played.

"Stop. You two, over there. Come along, where's the rest of you? Come on, come on." The teacher ordered as they came out of the old folk's home and walked over to the park. "We're going up to the castle now. All of you, come on."

"Why would they leave?" Rory asked.

"And what did you mean about Mrs. Poggit's nice old lady act?" Amy added on to the question.

"One of my tawdry quirks. Sniffing out things that aren't what they seem." The Doctor replied. "So, come on, let's think. The mechanics of this reality split we're stuck in."

"Time asleep exactly matches time in our dream world, unlike in conventional dreams." Stella said as she turned to face them.

"And we're all dreaming the same dream at the same time." Rory pointed out.

"Yes, sort of communal trance. Very rare, very complicated." The Doctor nodded, growing agitated. "I'm sure there's a dream giveaway, a tell, but my mind isn't working because this village is so dull!" The Doctor had a mini breakdown as he shouted. "I'm slowing down, like you two have."

"Ooo. Ow. Really. Ow!" Amy suddenly doubled over in pain holding onto her stomach. "It's coming."

"Okay, you're a doctor, help her." The Doctor looked to Rory as both men started to panic.

"You're a doctor." Rory shot back.

"It's okay, we're doctors." The Doctor squatted down to catch the baby.

"What do we do?" Rory yelped.

"Enough, both of you calm down. Rory 911, tell them how many week along she is, now!" Stella snapped then looked to Amy as Rory struggled to locate his cell and pull it out of his pocket. "Amy slow down your breathing, pant instead. Doctor, help me get her back into the home. I'll need towels, a blanket, a bowl, cold and hot water then…"

"Okay, it's not coming." Amy straightened up surprising them all.

"Not cool Pond." Stella groaned, she was already tense enough.

"What?" The Doctor squeaked as Amy glared at him.

"This is my life now and it just turned you white as a sheet, so don't you call it dull again, ever." Amy ordered sternly. "Okay?"

"Sorry." The Doctor mumbled.

"Yeah." Amy nodded before looking to Stella looping her arm through hers as they walked away. "At least Stella is here if it really does happen."

"Were you really going to catch the baby like that?" Stella looked to the Doctor as he came up to her other side.

"I panicked." The Doctor defended himself as Stella and Amy sat on a nearby swing set, the Doctor and Rory following. Behind them Mrs. Poggit walked up the steps to the castle where the children were playing, the Doctor's eyes lingering on her for a moment before joining the others at the swing set.

"Now, we all know there's an elephant in the room." The Doctor said as he softly kneaded Stella's shoulders making her hum in pleasure.

"I have to be this size, I'm having a baby." Amy ground out.

"No, no. The hormones seem real, but no. Is nobody going to mention Rory's ponytail?" The Doctor asked causing Amy and Stella to chuckle. The Doctor held up his hands like a pair of scissors. "You hold him down, I'll cut it off?"

"This from the man in the bow tie." Rory scoffed.

"Well bow ties are cool." Stella leaned back against the Doctor.

"Thanks love." The Doctor kissed the top of her head before moving around her eyeing where Mr. Poggit stood at the entrance to the castle ruin. "Now I don't know about you, but I wouldn't hire Mrs. Poggit as a babysitter."

"What's she doing? What does she want?" Stella questioned walking up beside the Doctor.

"Oh, no. Here we go." Amy grumbled as they all passed out falling asleep on the ground.

-0-

"It's really cold. Have you got any warm clothing?" Amy asked when they woke up in the freezing Tardis.

"What does it matter if we're cold?" The Doctor snapped causing them to stare wide eyed. "We have to know what she is up to."

"Theta." Stella said softly placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Sorry, sorry." The Doctor rubbed his face before gesturing over to the side of the Tardis. "There should be some stuff down there. Have a look."

Amy went down the steps followed by Rory who shot the Doctor a look as he angrily zipped up his jumper. They found a nook tucked away to the side with a trunk in it amongst other things.

Stella looked up at him then did a double take as she grabbed a tin cup out of the horn of the phonograph.

"I thought you said you washed this?" Stella shot him a look.

"O, I need that." The Doctor took it then went underneath the console with it.

"What other dirty dishes do you have hidden around here?" Stella asked as he opened a tool box breaking the handle off on accident.

"That's it, promise." He placed it on top of the box then looked inside finding a piece of rope, a bottle opener and a whisk.

"What did you do with the rest?" Stella crossed her arms.

"Black hole." The Doctor said honestly with a hesitant smile as she let out an annoyed groan.

"I want the other life. You know, where we're happy and settled and about to have a baby." Rory said wistfully.

"But don't you wonder, if that life is real, then why would we give up all this? Why would anyone?" Amy questioned causing Rory to frown.

"Because we're going to freeze to death?" Rory pointed out.

"Stella and the Doctor'll fix it." Amy brushed him off tossing him a blanket.

"Okay." Rory wrapped Amy up in the blanket. "Because we're going to get married?"

"We can still get married someday." Amy said with a laugh, but Rory's face fell.

"You don't want to any more. I thought you'd chosen me, not him." Rory said in anger and frustration.

"You are always so insecure." Amy rolled her eyes as she returned to digging for more blankets.

"You ran off with another man." Rory argued.

"Not in that way." Amy argued back.

"It was the night before our wedding, an engaged man." Rory said in bitterness.

"We're in a time machine. It can be the night before our wedding for as long as we want." Amy replied easily.

"We have to grow up eventually." Rory said seriously.

"Says who?" Amy picked up three more blankets then led him back up the stairs, Rory sulking as he went. They found the Doctor and Stella back at the console where they had assembled the whisk, rope, and bottle opener into a gizmo.

"Ah, Rory, wind." Stella shoved the gizmo into his hands.

"Amy, could you attach this to the monitor, please." The Doctor handed her some wires.

"I was promised amazing worlds. Instead I get duff central heating and a weird, kitcheny wind-up device." Rory said as he looked over the device with a scrunched up face.

"It's a generator." Stella corrected him.

"Get winding." The Doctor ordered as he and Stella ran around the console.

"Not enough." Amy said looking to the monitor.

"Rory, wind." The Doctor urged him.

"Why is the Dream Lord and Nyx picking on you? Why us?" Rory questioned as he wound faster until the scanner came to life.

"Where are we?" Amy asked as they looked over the swirling depth of space before them, then it came in view.

"We're in trouble." The Doctor replied, eyeing the stars on the scanner.

"What is that?" Rory asked as a large white ball of light came into view on the large round monitor.

"A star. A cold star." The Doctor ran over to the doors flinging it open letting in a gust of cold and a stinging bright white light. "That's why we're freezing. It's not a heating malfunction." The Doctor slammed the door shut again. "We're drifting towards a cold sun."

"There's our deadly danger for this version of reality." Stella said as the Doctor ran back up to them rubbing his arms.

"So this must be the dream. There's no such thing as a cold star. Stars burn." Amy tried to reason.

"So's this one. It's just burning cold." The Doctor tried to explain.

"Is that possible?" Rory asked the Doctor.

"I can't know everything. Why does everybody expect me to, always?" The Doctor whined as he collapsed in one of the chairs.

"Because usually you do love or you figure it out in a timely fashion." Stella said with a shrug getting a small smile from the Time Lord.

"Okay, this is something you haven't seen before. So does that mean this is the dream?" Rory asked.

"I don't know, but there it is, and I'd say we've got about fourteen minutes until we crash into it," The Doctor said checking his watch. "…but that's not a problem."

"Because you know how to get us out of this?" Rory asked hopefully.

"Because we'll have frozen to death by then." The Doctor said bursting Rory's bubble as he rocked to his feet and picking up a stethoscope.

"Oh, then what are we going to do?" Amy asked

"Stay calm. Don't get sucked in to it, because this just might be the battle that we have to lose." The Doctor said seriously using the stethoscope to check the console.

"Oh, this is so you, isn't it?" Rory snapped with a sneer.

"What?" The Doctor looked to him.

"Huh, what? A weird new star, fourteen minutes left to live and only one man to save the day, huh? I just wanted a nice village and a family." Rory complained.

"Oh dear, Doctor. Dissent in the ranks." DL appeared behind them.

"Always did love a rebel myself." Nyx flirted teasingly to Rory before she began to sing. "There was an old doctor from Gallifrey, who ended up throwing his life away. He let down his friends, his love was at its ends, and…"

"Oh, no." The bird song started up sending them into delirium. "We've run out of time." DL pretended to be startled by the abrupt aviary noises. "Don't spend too long there, or you'll catch your death here."

-0-

As soon as they were all awake they all ran up to the ruined castle which was now empty except for bits of school things lying on piles of ashes that dotted the grass.

"Where have the children gone?" The Doctor asked before darting onto the field as he took out his sonic.

"Don't know. Play time's probably over." Rory said as the Doctor scanned the ash piles and objects left next to them.

"You see, this is the real one. I just feel it. Don't you feel it?" Rory took in a deep breath as he looked over the small village.

"I feel it both places." Amy replied with a frown.

"I feel it here. It's just so tranquil and relaxed. Nothing bad could ever happen here." Rory smiled brightly as the Stella picked up a bag allowing the ash to fall from it, then dropped it back to the ground looking to the Doctor.

"Not really me, though, is it? I mean, would I be happy settling down in a place with a pub, two shops and a really bad Amateur Dramatics Society?" Amy asked getting an affronted look from Rory as the Doctor and Stella ran to another pile, Stella waving her hand over it using her sonic abilities. "That's why I got pregnant, so I don't have to see them doing Oklahoma." Amy looked over to when the Doctor who had taken up a handful of the dust letting it slip between his fingers while Stella's hands were covering her mouth in shock. "Doctor, Stella, what are you doing? And what are those piles of dust?"

"Play time's definitely over." The Doctor said softly.

"Oh my…" Amy said in realization as she looked over all of the piles. Stella reached out grabbing the Doctor's hand tightly in hers as he wrapped his arms around her protectively.

"They were just children." Stella said softly in sadness with the beginnings of anger flickering to life in her eyes.

"What happened to them?" Rory asked before the Doctor spotted the old people who were walking along the street.

"I think they did." The Doctor said leading them out of the ruin castle past the playground.

"They're just old people." Amy said as she and Rory followed them.

"No, they're very old people." The Doctor replied before glancing over at Rory. "Sorry, Rory, I don't think you're what's been keeping them alive."

"Hello, peasants." DL appeared in another new suit of clothes and Stella appeared next to Rory, waggling her fingers at him playfully. "What's this, attack of the old people? Oh, that's ridiculous. This has got to be the dream, hasn't it?" DL taunted looking to Amy. "What do you think, Amy? Let's all jump under a bus and wake up in the Tardis." He looked to the Doctor. "You first."

"Leave her alone." The Doctor ordered.

"Do that again. I love it when he does that. Tall dark hero." DL grinned as he copied the Doctor's stance. "Leave her alone."

"Just leave her." Rory stepped in.

"Yes, you're not quite so impressive." DL replied unimpressed.

"Then let me take a whack at it." Stella ground out, having had enough of her feelings being played with. "Back off now."

"Or what?" Nyx scoffed as she looked Stella up and down. "Look at you, another woman who's playing for the Doctor's affections and you still defend her. Aren't you the least bit angry or resentful? Of course you are, I know. No one forgives something like that so quickly."

"Just shut up." Stella snapped, gripping the Doctor's hand in hers.

"How many more women are going to throw themselves at the Doctor before you finally get fed up or before he decides one of them is better for him than you? How long before you're all alone again?" Nyx taunted cruelly then whirled around on Amy. "And Amy, so willing to toss aside friendship and your fiancé for just a chance to be with the Doctor, but at the same time doesn't want to let Rory go, gets testy when another prettier girl flirts with him." Nyx sneered as she circled Amy then leaned in close to her ear. "Such a choice, but I know where your heart lies, don't I, Amy Pond?"

"Shut up. Just shut up and leave me alone." Amy exploded not liking what Nyx was dragging into the light, the thoughts she didn't even want to admit to herself.

"But listen. You're in there. Loves a redhead, the Doctor." DL joined in sending a wink over to Stella.

"Doesn't he just." Nyx grinned running a hand though her own black strands changing them blood red for a moment before they returned back to jet black, eyeing Stella out of the corner of her eye. "Doubt he minded at all that you changed hair color along with your face. He was pretty quick to let go of the old you."

"Drop it. Drop all of it." The Doctor ordered as he stepped in front of Stella, fed up with what they were saying to her. "I know who you are."

"Course you don't." DL shot back.

"Course I do. No idea how you can be here, but there's only one person in the universe who hates me as much as you do." The Doctor said and DL looked slightly impressed.

"But you haven't found out who I am I bet." Nyx grinned.

"Then you'd be losing money on that bet." Stella said crossing her arms as she leaned into the Doctor's side, his arm around her shoulders. Nyx tapped the side of her nose with a conspiratorial smile as she giggled.

"Never mind us though." Nyx said as the old people approached.

"Maybe you should worry about them." DL nodded to the old people walking across the grass before he vanished along with Nyx.

"Hello, we were wondering where you went. To get reinforcements, by the look of it." The Doctor commented tensely.

"Are you all right? You look a bit tense." Stella pointed out.

"Hello, Mister Nainby." Rory approached one of the elderly men that was walking a bit ahead of the others.

"Rory." The Doctor tried to stop him.

"Mister Nainby ran the sweet shop. He used to slip me the odd free toffee." Rory assured him then Nainby grabbed Rory by the collar lifting him off his feet. "Did I not say thank you?" Rory was thrown into the mud by the swings in one easy movement from the elderly man. Rory quickly scrambled back to his feet. "How did he do that?"

"I suspect he's not himself." The Doctor replied. "Don't get comfortable here. You may have to run, fast."

"Can't we just talk to them?" Amy asked gesturing to her pregnant stomach. The old people opened their mouths, and a yellow eye connected to a green tentacle looked out making a strange noise. "There is an eye in her mouth."

"There's a whole creature inside her, inside all of them." The Doctor said as he scanned them with his sonic.

"They've been there for years, living and waiting." Stella said as she held up her hand, her fingers glowing blue.

"That is disgusting." Rory said with a wince, leaning close to the Doctor. "They're not going to be peeping out of anywhere else, are they?"

"Dear lord I hope not." Stella pulled a face. Mrs. Poggit breathed a stream of green gas at them causing them all to fall back to avoid it.

"Run." The Doctor sent Rory and Amy off, the two running as fast as they could in considering Amy's current state. The Doctor and Stella faced down the creatures together, determined to protect their friends. "Okay, leave them, leave them." The Doctor ordered them. "Talk to me. Talk to me. You are Eknodines, a proud, ancient race, you're better than this."

"Why are you hiding away here? Why aren't you at home?" Stella demanded not feeling nearly as talkative as the Doctor, not with the death of the children.

"We were driven from our planet…" Poggit started.

"By upstart neighbors." Stella picked up.

"So we've…" Nainby went on.

"Been living here inside the bodies of old humans for years." The Doctor took over. "No wonder they live so long. You're keeping them alive."

"We were humbled and destroyed. Now we will do the same to others." Poggit said, lifting her chin defiantly.

"Okay. Makes sense, I suppose." The Doctor looked to Stella.

"Credible enough. Could be real." Stella nodded as a young man wheeled his bicycle past.

"Morning." Was all he said before Mrs. Poggit breathed on him turning him to dust.

"You need to leave this planet." The Doctor ordered getting angry, the Eknodine in Poggit screeching at them as it came out further.

-0-

"Wait. Stop." Amy was out of breath form their run and had to stop at the fence leaning on it for support as Rory hovered around her eyeing the four old people were advancing through the sheep meadow across the road.

"After all I've done for the over seventies in this village." Rory complained wrapping his arm around Amy leading her to the house as they came to Mrs. Hamill who was by the front door and started advancing on them. "Okay, this is crazy. She loves me. I fixed her depression. She's just a little old lady."

"Mrs. Hamill, we don't understand." Amy said cradling her stomach protectively. The Eknodine looked out of Mrs. Hamill's mouth screeching at them in reply.

"I'll deal with this one, Chubs." Roy said and Amy shot him a look mouthing the words chubs in disdain. "Now…" Rory was cut off as they dodged the blast of green gas. Rory ducked behind some bushes while Amy ran around the old woman making for the house. Rory picked up a piece of wood holding it like a baseball bat, but hesitated as he faced Hamill down. "I can't hit her."

"Whack her!" Amy ordered angrily and Rory obeyed, swinging hard shattering the wood, knocking Mrs. Hamill down clearing the path for them to run inside, Amy collapsing on the stairs while Rory bolted the door shut behind them. "We just ran away. We just abandoned the Doctor and Stella." Amy bemoaned then turned stern. "Don't ever call me Chubs again." She went back to bemoaning. "We don't see them for years, and somehow we don't really connect any more, and then, then they take the bullet for us."

"Hey, they'll be fine. You know the Doctor. He's Mister Cool and he always has Stella around to get him out of trouble." Rory said as he locked doors and windows, and started building a barricade against the windows and doors should the locks fail.

-0-

The Doctor and Stella were fighting the bird song's effect as they raced down the street, stumbling as they went. The Doctor pulled Stella over to the butchers by her hand. They ran in closing and locking the door behind them, the Doctor changing the sign to Closed after making sure it was the right side.

"Oh, I love a good butcher's, don't you? We've got to use these places or they'll shut down." DL said as he appeared behind the counter in a butchers outfit. The Doctor and Stella ran to the back door trying to use the keys the Doctor had found, but was having trouble keeping coherent enough to use them. "Oh, but you're probably a vegetarian, aren't you, you big flop-haired wuss."

"Not my girl Stella, born meat eater despite what her choice in attire says." Nyx appeared sitting on the countertop with her legs crossed, the slit open revealing her long legs. "That burger contest on Bubulae, won it hands down."

"Oh, pipe down. We're busy." The Doctor snapped groggily.

"Rude." Nyx scolded teasingly. "Maybe you need a little sleep to improve your attitude."

The tweeting got louder forcing the Doctor and Stella to slump to the floor against the back door no matter how they struggled against it, it overcame them with ease.

"Oh, wait a moment. If you fall asleep here, several dozen angry pensioners will destroy you with their horrible eye things." DL said in fake concern, the bird song stopping as the Doctor got up pulling Stella with him gripping her hand behind the counter to a small hall. He tried sticking his finger from his free hand in his other ear, trying to lessen the noise forcing them to sleep. "Fingers in the ear. Brilliant. What's next, shouting boo?"

"Come in, come in." Nyx waved in the elderly holding out her arms with a wide smile as the old people entered the shop.

"Yes, we've got lots at stake here this week. Lots at stake, get it?" DL looked between the time traveling couple and Nyx, the dream lady giving him an unimpressed look while he was ignored by the others, the Doctor and Stella having fallen asleep to a new chorus of bird song, making him frown sourly. "Are these jokes wasted on you?"

"Only the bad ones." Nyx sighed dramatically turning to face the other side of the counter then eyed his clothes. "Why do you always change your clothes?"

"You have no sense for the theatrical arts, you have to dress the part." DL rolled his eyes.

"You're saying you don't like what I'm wearing." Nyx smirked playfully as she leaned forward tantalizingly close to DL.

"I never said that love." DL smirked back making her grin. Suddenly Stella let out a shrill scream that cut through the air jolting the Doctor out of his stupor and gaining the attention of DL and Nyx, also causing the bird song to stop for a moment in their surprise.

"Wait, wait, stop." The Doctor pulled Stella up, wrapping one of her arms around his shoulders. The bird song started up again sending them slumping back to the ground.

"Oh. Oh, I can't watch." DL covered his face peeking through his fingers as the elderly closed in, the bird song once again stopping.

"I can." Nyx lay on her side on the counter propping her head up on her hand, her elbow resting on the counter. The Doctor barely got them into the storeroom opening it with his sonic and closing the door behind them, securing it with his sonic.

"Nice scream." The Doctor said as they slumped down against the door, the Doctor wrapping his arm around Stella laying his cheek on top of her head.

"Thanks." Stella laid her head against his shoulder as they fell asleep.

-0-

They all woke up setting straight up on the floor under the console. Amy clutched her blanket close as Rory and the Doctor wrapped their jackets tighter around themselves, Stella pressing herself against the Doctor trying to keep him warm, but was not as affected by the cold as the others.

"Ah, it's colder, how are you not feeling this?" Amy complained as she looked to Stella.

"The Lacetra, the lizard people that made me, were from a frigid planet that makes this seem like a nippy autumn to me." Stella shrugged rubbing the Doctor's hands as his arms were wrapped around her. "So what's the plan?"

"The four of us have to agree, now, which is the dream." The Doctor said holding onto Stella tightly.

"It's this, here." Rory said right away.

"He could be right. The science is all wrong here. Burning ice?" Amy said in confusion.

"No, no, no. Ice can burn. Sofas can read." The Doctor replied.

"It's a big universe." Stella sighed nuzzling against the Doctor. "Think dry ice."

"We have to agree which battle to lose. All of us, now." The Doctor ordered urgently.

"Okay, which world do you think is real?" Amy asked them.

"This one." The Doctor and Stella said quickly.

"No, the other one." Rory argued with them.

"Yeah, but are we disagreeing or competing?" The Doctor snapped.

"Competing over what?" Amy snapped as Rory looked to her pointedly. The Doctor pulled Stella closer to his side as they looked to Amy.

Rory wanted to have a nice simple life with Amy while the Doctor and Stella wanted to take her with them to show her the wonders of the universe. There was also the fact that Rory was competing for Amy's affections, it was clear that she was still attracted to the Doctor, but the Doctor only had eyes for his Starlight.

Amy rolled her eyes in frustration at the whole situation as she stood up, the other following. Amy grabbed the blankets and a pair of scissors cutting into the thick material.

"Nine minutes till impact." The Doctor informed them checking his watch.

"What temperature is it?" Amy asked as she worked.

"Outside? Brrr. How many noughts have you got? Inside? I don't know but I can't feel my feet and other parts." The Doctor said with an embarrassed glance over to Stella who just pressed herself against him, wrapping his arms around herself warming him up a bit.

"I think all my parts are basically fine." Rory commented looking over to Amy.

"Stop competing." Stella ordered in exasperated amusement.

"Can't we call for help?" Rory picked up the Tardis telephone.

"Yeah, because the universe is really small and there's bound to be someone nearby." Stella took the phone from him bonking him lightly on the head before putting the phone back.

"Put these on, both of you." Amy had cut a slit in the middle of the blankets. She through one to the Doctor and another to Stella before putting one on Rory and the last on herself. "I got one for you to Stella."

"I'm fine." Stella said about to set the poncho aside, but the Doctor took it placing it on her over her head making her pout.

"This is getting to cold, even for you." The Doctor said kissing her forehead. "Don't think I haven't noticed you shivering."

"Oh, a poncho, the biggest crime against fashion since lederhosen." Rory groaned looking down at it.

"Here we go. Look at them Stella, our boys." Amy said looping her arm with Stella's. "Our poncho boys." Amy went on making Stella laugh as the boys rolled their eyes. Amy pulled Stella over so that they were standing with the boys looking at the large monitor displaying the freezing star. "If we're going to die, let's die looking like a Peruvian folk band."

"I'll get my guitar." Stella deadpanned.

"We're not going to die." Rory said glancing over at the others.

"No, we're not, but our time's running out. If we fall asleep here we're in trouble." The Doctor rubbed his face as he thought. "If we could divide up, then we'd have an active presence in each world, but the Dream Lord and Nyx are switching us between the worlds." The Doctor started to pace. "Why? Why? what's the logic?"

"Good idea, veggie." DL appeared next to the Doctor pacing with him wearing his own poncho, while Nyx appeared on the sitting on the console. "Let's divide you four up, so I can have a little chat with our lovely companion and the fiancé."

"Maybe you can keep them, and I can have pointy nose and bow tie for all for myself." Nyx leaned back against the time rotor. "What do you say DL?"

"Sounds good to me my lovely Nyx." DL smirked.

"Can you hear that?" Rory clung to Amy as the birds filled the Doctor and Rory's ears.

"What? No." Amy started to panic, holding onto Rory as he slipped to the floor.

"Amy, Stella, don't be scared. We'll be back." The Doctor assured them as Stella cradled the Doctor in her arms lowering him gently to the ground.

"I know you will." Stella pressed a kiss to his forehead before he and Rory fell asleep.

"Rory, Doctor, don't leave us." Amy begged kneeling down next to Rory on the floor.

"Catch you later DL." Nyx smiled as she vanished when the boys were out of it.

"Oh girls, we're going to have fun, aren't we?" DL smiled wickedly.

"No, please..." Amy whimpered, her eyes darting around as she stood back up.

"It's ok Amy, we can handle this." Stella said as she met DL's gaze with far more confidence than she was feeling at the moment.

-0-

"Rory woke to the sound of the front windows being smashed in sending him scurrying. He took hold of Amy as best he could and started to drag her up the stairs one step at a time which was the best he could do due to her weight.

"Sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Rory said every time he pulled her up a step with a thud until they reached the top and he dragged her into the nursery laying her on the floor with a thump. "Sorry."

He looked out of the window where the old people had gotten a battering ram and were also pushing at the Tardis rocking it back and forth. He quickly turned back to the nursery and jammed the door handle with a chair then sat on it twiddling his thumbs nervously.

-0-

The Doctor activated his sonic screwdriver, searching for the right frequency as soon as he woke up. He glanced down at Stella from time to time hoping that she was ok with Amy back on the Tardis, he was sure that she could handle herself. Nyx appeared leaning against the wall watching the Doctor, her hands behind her back, not speaking a word.

"What? No remarks?" The Doctor glanced over at her breaking the silence.

"Why?" Nyx asked, her head cocked to the side.

"Why what?" The Doctor asked back.

"Why do you love her so much?" Nyx asked looking from the Doctor to Stella. "She can't provide you with a family, she's got a lot of blood on her hands, and she's so broken despite how she may seem on the outside." Nyx looked into his eyes. "Why do you love her so much when you could have anyone you want in the whole universe?"

The Doctor eyed Nyx for a moment before he spoke choosing his words carefully, wanting her to know why and not leave any lingering doubt.

"I love her because of her strength to live with her past and still smile with all her heart despite everything. I love her because she looks at me, sees the darkness in me, and understands, she accepts it and doesn't try to sugar coat it. She bared her soul to me completely and gave me the courage to do the same with her." The Doctor looked over to Nyx, starring into her golden orbs. "As for family, she's all the family I need to make me happy."

"I'm lucky to have you." Nyx said letting the façade drop with a small smile. "Thank you for loving all of me."

"I always will." The Doctor smiled back. "I do have one question though."

"What's that?" Nyx asked.

"Why do you keep flirting with Rory?" The Doctor asked with a frown.

"Quite simple really, wanted to give Amy a taste of her own medicine. I'm nice, but I'm not a saint." Nyx shrugged then grinned. "Do not be worried Doctor, you're the only one for all of me, you make my life worth living."

"You do that for me as well." The Doctor said with a small smile.

"I better get going, but remember Doctor, we are dreams and there is only one way you can truly dream and only one way to end it." Nyx vanished with a small wave leaving the Doctor on his own. He looked thoughtfully down at Stella for a moment, thinking over her words, before springing into action.

"Okay, where is it?" Once he got the frequency he opened the door and zapped the lights causing them to produce strobe like flashes as if from a camera.

The old people closed their eyes and mouths allowing the Doctor to run out of the butchers carrying Stella piggyback style. He ran down a back alley to avoid more senior citizens and over to another street. He glanced up and down the street where he saw Mister Nainby attacking a man next to a camper van.

"Oh help, somebody." The man called out as the Doctor ran for him.

"Oh, you couldn't live near the shops, could you." The Doctor grumbled as he hefted Stella higher.

"Help me!" The man yelled right before the Doctor plowed into the elderly man knocking him down hard.

"It's okay, it's only me." The Doctor calmed the man down before shoving Stella over to the passenger side them climbing in after her, the man climbing into the back. "Buckle her up for me would you."

The Doctor drove as fast as he could only slowing down when he spotted two women surrounded by the evil elderly.

"Get in, get in, get in. Quickly, quickly, over here. Quickly. Get in." The man in the back opened the large door as they ran for them hoping into the back.

"Come on, jump in. Quickly, get in now. Quickly. Hurry up. Are we in?" The Doctor looked back making sure they were secure, the man shutting the door, then drove on once again slowing down this time to rescue a family tapped by a gate, the old people closing in. "Come on, let's go."

"Quickly, in here." The man urged them as the parents got their kids in.

"All four, quick." The Doctor said. The parents climbed in, the man closing the door behind them.

"That's it. Clear." The man told the Doctor.

"Everyone in." The Doctor said as they drove on, glancing over to Stella whose head lulled from side to side.

-0-

There was a thick layer of frost over everything in the Tardis making it look like the inside of a deep freeze. Amy was adjusting the blanket over Rory and looked over to Stella who had the Doctor cradled in her lap as she moved her fingers lovingly through his hair.

"Poor Amy. He always leaves you, doesn't he, alone in the dark." DL appeared suddenly sitting on the stairs. "Never apologizes."

"He doesn't have to." Amy replied bitingly as she stood up facing him.

"That's good, because he never will." DL said then looked to Stella. "And Stella, all those other women fawning over him almost constantly, it must drive you crazy."

"They can fawn over him all they want, I know without a doubt he loves me as much as I love him." Stella said as her gaze was locked on the Doctor's slumbering face brushing the ice from his cheek and brows.

"But now he's left you with me. Spooky old, not to be trusted me. Anything could happen." DL appeared on one of the chairs in a satin dressing gown that bared his chest, a gold medallion hanging from his neck.

"No, it really couldn't." Stella said shaking her head as she rolled her eyes.

"Why don't you ever wear that when I'm around?" Nyx appeared with a pout.

"I thought you were with pointy nose and bow tie." DL leaned back with his hands behind his head.

"Got bored." Nyx sighed sitting on the stairs resting her chin in her hands.

"Who are you, and what do you want?" Amy broke in. "The Doctor knows you, but he's not telling me who you are." Amy said as she walked over to DL. "And he always does. Takes him a while sometimes, but he tells me." She leaned in close. "So you're something different."

"Oh, is that who you think you are? The one he trusts?" DL scoffed, glancing over to Nyx who rolled her eyes.

"Actually, yes." Amy replied.

"The only girl in the universe to whom the Doctor tells everything?" DL went on looking pointedly to Stella.

"Yes." Amy said lifting her chin a bit.

"And that doesn't bother you a bit." Nyx looked to Stella who refused to look up at her.

"Another delusion I'm not responsible for." DL rolled his eyes.

"If you're so knowledgeable, what's his name?" Nyx asked as she stood up, her arms crossed.

"It's a secret; you of all people should know that." Stella said with a sigh. "It can only be shared once."

DL appeared next to Stella gesturing to her left hand with the ring upon it.

"Pond, meet the only woman the Doctor will ever trust with that secret and many others." DL said causing Amy to look away. "Now, which one of these men would you really choose?" DL appeared between Rory and the Doctor. "Look at them. You ran away with a handsome hero. Would you really give him up for a bumbling country doctor who thinks the only thing he needs to be interesting is a ponytail?"

"I kind of like the ponytail." Nyx commented playfully.

"Stop it." Amy ordered with uncomfortable glances at Stella and annoyed ones at Nyx.

"But maybe it's better than loving and losing the Doctor whose hearts already belong to the beautiful heroine." DL gestured to Stella who was focused on the Doctor, removing the building ice from his face. "Pick a world, and this nightmare will all be over. They'll listen to you. It's you they're waiting for, Amy's friends, Amy's choice."

DL and Nyx disappeared leaving the girls alone once again.

-0-

The Doctor stopped in front of a large church leaping out opening the large door and unloading the back of the van. Various other passengers that he had saved along the way piled out as fast as they could.

"Everybody, out, out, out. Into the church, that's right. Don't answer the door." The Doctor ordered as they ran into the building then he jumped back into the can driving off as fast as he could to Amy and Rory's house. The Dream Lord appeared in the back seat, the Doctor seeing him in the rearview mirror, wearing a peach racing suit and holding a full face helmet.

"It's make your mind up time in both worlds." DL informed him.

"Fine. I need to find my friends." The Doctor snapped.

"Friends? Is that the right word for the people you acquire? Friends are people you stay in touch with. Your friends never see you again once they've grown up. The old man prefers the company of the young, does he not? The Dream Lord vanished again, and the Doctor arrived outside the cottage to see the slow motion onslaught of the elderly.

"Okay." The Doctor mumbled as he planned a way in.

"This is not where I fell asleep." Stella mumbled as she came to and unbuckled herself.

"Stella, are you ok?" The Doctor turned to her pulling her close.

"Yeah, fine." Stella said right away.

"Did he hurt you in any way?" The Doctor pressed.

"Of course not." Stella assured him taking hold of his hands. "Where are Amy and Rory?"

"In there." The Doctor gestured to the cottage under siege.

"That…is kind of sad to watch." Stella eyed the feeble elderly who were making little to no progress. "Is that a lawn mower?" Stella asked as one of the elderly women holding a lawn mower aloft moved slowly into the yard. "Ok, right, how are we going to get in?" She looked over to the Doctor who was grinning. "You have a thing don't you."

"Yeah." He nodded still grinning like a maniac.

"Oh good, it must be so crazy there is no way it can't not work." Stella said with a wide smile.

"Oh yeah." The Doctor nodded again. "But one thing first before the other thing."

"You lost me." Stella raised an eyebrow before the Doctor pulled her into a toe curling kiss.

"There we go." The Doctor smiled as Stella's dazed looked before he took her hand pulling her out of the van.

-0-

Amy woke up with a start looking around herself as she sat up from lying on Rory's lap, where he had been holding her in his arms carding his fingers through her hair.

"How did I get up here?" Amy asked groggily.

"I carried you. I'm afraid you may experience some bruising." Rory apologized as he sat up on his knees.

"Where are the Doctor and Stella?" Amy asked as she faced him.

"I don't know. I want to do something for you." Rory got a pair of scissors out of a floral handbag holding them up for Amy to see and cut off his pony tail, Amy covering her mouth in shock.

"I was starting to like it." Amy said as Rory starred at her in disbelief holding the chunk of hair in his hand. Suddenly the window opened, making them jump.

"Sorry." The Doctor said as he fell in with Stella falling in on top of him. "We had to stop off at the butcher's."

"What happened to your ponytail?" Stella asked Rory as she and the Doctor sat up.

"I cut it off." Rory replied holding up the chunk of hair.

"Why?" Stella asked in confusion.

"Because I thought it would make Amy happy." Rory sighed making Stella squeal.

"That is so sweet." Stella said with a smile.

"What are we going to do?" Rory asked feeling a bit better about losing his ponytail.

"I don't know. I thought the freezing Tardis was real but now I'm not so sure." The Doctor told them.

"Oh! I think the baby's starting." Amy started to breath hard.

"Honestly?" Rory asked.

"Would I make it up at a time like this?" Amy glared at him.

"Well, you do have a history of…" Rory started and Amy gave him a deadly look. "…being very lovely." He turned to the Doctor as Stella wrapped her arm around Amy telling her to try and control her breathing. "Why are they so desperate to kill us?"

"They're scared." The Doctor told them as he stood up leaning against the cradle and Stella set Amy up so her legs were stretched out in front of her.

"Fear generates savagery." Stella explained rubbing Amy's back soothingly just before a gnome was thrown through the window and Rory got up to investigate.

"Rory get back." Stella shot up making a grab for him, but it was too late. Mrs. Poggit breathed at Rory and Stella, and some of the green gas touched Rory sending them back to the ground in pain.

"Rory!" Amy called out as he stumbled back, the Doctor running for Stella. Stella reared back her arm gritting her teeth as she slammed her fist straight into Mrs. Poggit's face causing her to fly off the porch roof then she fell back in the Doctor's arms.

"Stella!" The Doctor gently lowered her to the ground.

"No, I'm not ready." Rory panicked as he started to turn to dust.

"Stay." Amy begged.

"Look after our baby." Rory said before he was completely gone.

"No, no, no…Stella please no…please…" The Doctor cupped either side of her face, ash starting to fall between his fingers.

"I'm sorry my love…." Stella gasped out in pain as she reached up gripping his hand as best she could. "Stay with Amy, don't leave her alone."

"Stella please…." The Doctor tried to hold her together.

"Promise me." Stella ordered.

"I promise." The Doctor said tearfully.

"I love you Theta." Stella smiled as tears streamed from her eyes.

"I love you my Starlight, don't leave me." The Doctor pleaded, but she was already gone, her wedding rings glistening on top of the pile of ashes. The Doctor shakily reached forward picking them up and gripping them in his fist as he held them between his hearts.

"No. No. Come back." Amy looked at Rory's ashes as the Doctor turned to her as he slowly stumbled to his feet and she looked up at him imploringly. "Save him. You save everyone. You always do. It's what you do."

"Not always." The Doctor looked down at the rings in his hand, tears streaming from his eyes. "I'm sorry."

"Then what is the point of you?" Amy touched the pile of dust lovingly then stood up with a determined look. The Doctor hovered near her, his hands not touching her. "This is the dream. Definitely this one." Amy said in complete certainty as she held Rory's hair. "Now, if we die here, we wake up, yeah?"

"Unless we just die." The Doctor looked to her stomach.

"Either way, this is my only chance of seeing him again. This is the dream." Amy said as she moved back and forth.

"How do you know?" The Doctor looked to her and she gently placed her hand over his that was holding the rings, Rory's hair still in her hand.

"Because if this is real life, I don't want it. I don't want it and I know you don't either." Amy said before leaving the nursery with the Doctor following after her down the stairs and outside where the old people had gone still. "Why aren't they attacking?!"

"Either because this is just a dream or because they know what we're about to do." The Doctor told her as they came up to the van where Amy stopped holding her hand out for the key. "Be very sure." The Doctor looked to her stomach again. "This could be the real world."

"It can't be. Rory isn't here. I didn't know. I didn't, I didn't, I honestly didn't, till right now." Amy said tearfully. "I just want him and I know you feel the same about being without Stella."

"Okay. Okay." The Doctor gave her the key gripping her hand for a moment before they got went to the doors of the van, Amy in the driver's seat starting up the engine. The Doctor looked at the Dream Lord and Nyx then got in the passenger side, the dream duo starring at him through the window.

"I love Rory, and I never told him. But now he's gone." Amy revved the engine and drove the camper van through the pensioners and at the cottage with a resounding crash.

-0-

Stella woke with a start, the Doctor still sleeping in her lap and her back leaning against the console keeping her up. There's was an even thicker layer of ice over everyone and everything. Stella let out a sigh as she took in the Doctor and their sleeping companions.

"So that's the answer." Stella mumbled, her breath coming out in puffs.

"Doesn't mean you won just yet, the Doctor and Amy are still deciding." DL appeared before her.

"If I know them they're about to do something extremely stupid to get back to Rory and I, but then again that's just the type of people Amy and you are." Stella looked up as a surprised looking DL. "Yeah, I know you're part of the Doctor, the whole self-hate thing gave it away pretty well. Then there was the handsome hero comment." Stella sighed with a small laugh. "Really have to work on your ego."

"It's not that bad." DL leaned back crossing his arms.

"Yes it is." Stella deadpanned making DL pout.

"Not like Nyx is much better." DL pointed out.

"Ok, I'll give you that one." Stella nodded with a small smile.

"I better go check in with the others." DL said with a sigh.

"Dream Lord, I love the Doctor, all of him completely and wholly." Stella said to him.

"Even the parts like me." DL stuffed his hands into his pocket with a self-loathing smile.

"Of course, I never want any part of him to doubt that, no matter what." Stella said sincerely. DL gives her a brief nod and a small smile.

"The way you feel about the darkness in the Doctor, in me, is the exact same way he…I feel about you." DL said before he vanished and the others slowly woke up. Amy reached for Rory's hand, both of them holding onto each other.

"Hey." The Doctor breathed out with a shiver as he looked up at her.

"Hello my love." Stella smiled lovingly as she held him close.

"So, you chose this world. Well done. You got it right." Dl conceded as he appeared again along with Nyx.

"And with only seconds left. Fair's fair. Let's warm you up." Nyx said as she and DL worked the console restoring power then piloted them away from the frigid star.

"I hope you've enjoyed your little fictions. It all came out of your imagination, so I'll leave you to ponder on that. I have been defeated. I shall withdraw." DL said in a resigned voice as Nyx walked over to him slipping her hand into his, DL entwining their fingers together.

"Goodbye all." Nyx winked saucily at the Doctor. "And dream a little dream of me."

"Farewell." DL said before he and Nyx vanished.

"Something happened." Rory said as he and Amy struggled to sit up right. "I…What happened to me? I…." Amy leaned forward hugging him as the Doctor and Stella stumbled to their feet and started to move around the console flipping switches and pressing buttons. "Oh. Oh, right. This is good. I am liking this. Was it something I said? Could you tell what it was so I can use it in emergencies, and maybe birthdays."

"What are we doing now?" Amy looked to the Time Lord and Cyborg as the familiar wheezing sound of the Tardis filled the room.

"Me, I'm going to blow up the Tardis." The Doctor grunted as he turned a lever.

"And I'm helping." Stella said cheerfully as she hit a few buttons.

"What?" The companions panicked snapping to their feet.

"Notice how helpful the Dream Lord and Nyx were?" The Doctor asked, but it was obvious the companions did not see it that way as the ship started to shake violently and the lights went red. "Okay, there was misinformation, red herrings, malice, and I could have done without the limerick, but they were always very keen to make us choose between dream and reality."

"What are you doing?" Amy questioned over the noise as the clung to the console clambering to their feet.

"Doctor, Stella the Dream Lord and Nyx conceded. This isn't a dream." Rory tried to convince them.

"Yes, it is." Stella said as they went on working, the shaking increasing.

"Stop them." Amy ordered Rory who tried, but Stella easily held him back while the Doctor finished up.

"Star burning cold? Do me a favor." The Doctor scoffed. "The Dream Lord and Nyx have no power over the real world, Nyx told me so herself. They are dreams and there is only one way you can truly dream, only one way to end a dream, and that is if you are asleep."

"He was offering us a choice between two dreams." Stella told them, yelling to be heard over the destructive noises.

"How do you know that?" Amy called out.

"Because we know who they are." The Doctor replied sharing a glance with Stella.

"All we have to do now is wake up." Stella slammed her hand down on the last lever and the Tardis erupted in a fiery explosion.

-0-

Rory and Amy entered a completely normal Tardis console room to see the Doctor looking at something small and crystal rainbow colored in his palm while Stella leaned her head on his shoulder humming to herself.

"Any questions?" The Doctor asked them as they walked over.

"Er, what's that?" Amy asked.

"A speck of psychic pollen from the candle meadows of Karass don Slava." The Doctor informed them.

"That was such a nice trip." Stella mused as the Doctor pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"Very nice." The Doctor looked back to their companions. "Must have been hanging around for ages." The Doctor took them over to the door and blew them out into space. "Fell in the time rotor, heated up and induced a dream state for all of us."

"So that was the Dream Lord then? Those little specks." Rory said asked as he walked back up to the console, his hand slipping around Stella's waist.

"No, no. No. Sorry, wasn't it obvious? The Dream Lord was me." The Doctor said surprising the couple.

"And Nyx was me." Stella added gaining another shocked look from them.

"Psychic pollen. It's a mind parasite." The Doctor explained to them. "It feeds on everything dark in you, gives it a voice, turns it against you. I'm nine hundred and seven and Stella is..." Stella gave him a look. "…it had a lot to go on."

"But when it's not doing that it is a very pretty sight in the moon light, all sparkly and such." Stella said wistfully.

"But why didn't it feed on us, too?" Amy asked.

"The darkness in you pair, it would've starved to death in an instant." The Doctor scoffed.

"We choose our friends with great care." Stella added.

"But those things they said about yourselves. You don't think any of that's true?" Amy asked as the Doctor wrapped his arms around Stella, neither of them meeting her gaze nor each other's.

"Amy, right now a question is about to occur to Rory." The Doctor avoided answering and took Amy by her shoulders turning her around to face Rory. "And seeing as the answer is about to change his life, I think you should give him your full attention."

"Yeah. Actually, yeah." Rory said in realization as the Doctor shoved her forward gently.

"There it is." The Doctor smiled moving to the other side of the console pulling Stella along with him.

"Because what I don't get is, you blew up the Tardis, that stopped that dream, but what stopped the Leadworth dream?" Rory asked.

"We crashed the camper van." Amy said hesitantly.

"Oh, right. I don't remember that bit." Rory said in confusion.

"No, you weren't there. You were already…" Amy closed her eyes.

"Already what?" Rory asked.

"Dead. You died in that dream." Amy admitted. "Mrs. Poggit got you."

"Okay. But how did you know it was a dream? Before you crashed the van, how did you know you wouldn't just die?" Rory asked, still confused.

"I didn't." Amy sighed glancing from the floor to him.

"Oh." Rory said in realization.

"Yeah." Amy nodded confirming his thoughts.

"Oh." Rory's eyes widen as he looked at Amy.

"Yeah, oh." Amy looked to him and Rory took her hands in his pulling her into a deep kiss.

"So crashed a van huh?" Stella commented as she and the Doctor looked away from Amy and Rory. Stella let out a surprised squeak when the Doctor grabbed hold of her and pulling her into a deep passionate kiss that was felt from her head to her toes. He pressed her against the console molding his body to hers as he poured all of himself into the kiss, Stella returning in kind as she pressed herself back against him. When he finally pulled apart he laid his forehead on hers, one of his hands sill buried in her hair while the other was wrapped around her waist and Stella's hands were wrapped around his neck.

"I couldn't bear the thought of being without you." The Doctor gazed down into her eyes, Stella feeling her hearts jolt at the emotion the conveyed

"I would have done the same." Stella admitted with a soft smile. "I love you Theta."

"I love you to my starlight." The Doctor leaned down kissing her breath away once more before they finally checked in on their companions only to find them in a lip lock of their own.

"So, well then, where now? Or should we just pop down to the swimming pool for a few lengths?" The Doctor asked as they broke apart.

"I don't know. Any where's good for me. I'm happy anywhere." Rory smiled wrapping his arm Around Amy who leaned happily into his touch. "It's up to Amy this time, Amy's choice."

The Doctor made to set the Tardis in motion when he looked down seeing the Dream Lord looking back up at him in the reflective surface. Stella reached over taking his hand gaining his attention at the same time Nyx appeared next to the Dream Lord with a smile before they both vanished. Stella smiled brightly causing all of the Doctor's negative thoughts to disappear and happiness to fill his hearts, the same feeling Stella was receiving as he smiled down at her.


	8. Chapter 8

_**AN:**_

 _ **I haven't got any feedback on my last update and would really like to know what everyone thought of Nyx. Just wanted to know what everyone thought of her.**_

-0-

"Behold, Rio." The Doctor announced as he came out of the Tardis in a flourish, stepping straight into a chilly very old cometary in the midst of a churchyard. Amy in her brown leather jacket, maroon shirt, jean shorts and boots looked out of the Tardis along with Rory in a vest, button up shirt, jeans, and shoes.

"Nah." Amy shook her head.

"Not really getting the sunshine carnival vibe." Rory added.

"No?" Stella came out after them wearing a long bell sleeved crème colored floral print off the shoulder crop top blouse that buttoned up the front with lace around the elbows, a flowing rose pink ankle length vest with a white lace design up the back, a pair of jean shorts with lace accents, and a pair of light brown ankle high gladiator sandals. Her hair was pulled back into a long fishtail French braid accented with small white flowers and her rose colored glasses were perched on her nose. "Well this is very wrong."

"Ooo, feel that, though. What's that?" The Doctor jumped up and down on the ground, Stella coming up to stand next to him. "Ground feels strange. Just me."

"Forget the ground, look over there, that's weird." Stella pointed to the patches of blue grass that dotted the graveyard.

"What's weird?" Rory asked.

"Doctor, stop trying to distract us and Stella stop encouraging him. We're in the wrong place." Amy whined, but the Doctor and Stella kept on making observations. "Doctor, Stella, it's freezing and I've dressed for Rio. We are not stopping here. Doctor. Stella. You listening to me? It's a graveyard. You two promised me a beach."

"Blue grass. Patches of it all around the graveyard." Stella said as she and the Doctor walked over to a patch of the strange grass.

"So, Earth, 2020-ish, ten years in your future, wrong continent for Rio, I'll admit, but it's not a massive overshoot." The Doctor said as they looked over the grass, pocketing some of it.

"Why are those people waving at us?" Amy asked looking to the other side of the valley where a couple were standing.

"Can't be." The Doctor said as he and Stella stood up looking to the mysterious couple.

"Don't." Amy pushed Rory's hand down when he started to wave back.

"It is. It's you two." The Doctor said looking through a pair of binoculars he had pulled from his pocket.

"No, we're here." Rory said in confusion. "How can we be up there?"

"Ten years in your future. Come to relive past glories, I'd imagine." The Doctor grinned at them as Stella waved back enthusiastically. "Humans, you're so nostalgic."

"We're still together in ten years?" Amy said with a look.

"No need to sound so surprised." Rory replied.

"Hey, let's go and talk to them. We can say hi to future us. How cool is that?" Amy said in excitement as she grabbed Rory started forward.

"Er, no, best not. Really best not." Stella stopped them with a wince. "These things get complicated very quickly. I met myself on accident one time and by the end of it I wasn't even sure which me was me from when."

"What?" Rory looked to her in confusion as did Amy.

"Exactly." Stella replied not explaining it at all.

"And oh look. Big mining thing." The Doctor pointed to a large yellow mining facility. "Oh, I love a big mining thing. See, way better than Rio. Rio doesn't have a big mining thing."

"We're not going to have a look, are we?" Amy groaned.

"Let's go and have a look." The Doctor smiled as he started down the hill pulling Stella along with him. "Come on, you two, let's see what they're doing."

"If he can't get us to Rio, how's he ever going to get us back home?" Rory asked as they watched the Doctor almost stumble over a small gravestone, Stella gripping his arm and holding him up.

"Did you not see over there? It all works out fine." Amy assured him. "And more than likely Stella was driving."

"After everything we've seen, we just drop back into our old lives? The nurse and the kissogram?" Rory questioned.

"I guess." Amy frowned then smiled brushing the thought away. "They're getting away."

"Hang on. What are you doing with that?" Rory holding her left hand with her engagement ring on it.

"Engagement ring. I thought you liked me wearing it." Amy smiled.

"Amy, you could lose it." Rory said then hesitantly went on. "Cost a lot of money, that."

"Hmm. Spoilsport." Amy gave the ring to Rory as Stella came running back up to them. "Oh don't tell me the Doctor is already in trouble."

"No, not yet, we were just wonder if you two were coming or not? You know he won't leave until he knows whatever it is he doesn't know." Stella told them placing her hands on her hips. "What's the hold up?"

"Rory won't let me wear my ring." Amy said with a pout. "He's going to put it back in the Tardis."

"There's a ring box in one of the console drawers, I'll show you and then we'll get it treated so that only you and Rory can take it off so then you won't ever have to worry about losing it." Stella said leading him back into the Tardis.

"Sounds good." Rory said looking to Amy before he followed Stella. "Go on. We'll catch you both up."

"And keep an eye on the Doctor, keep him out of trouble." Stella called out.

"I make no promises." Amy replied before they went their separate ways. Stella walked up to the Tardis snapping her fingers causing the door to swing open.

"I am never going to get tired of that." Stella grinned to Rory who rolled his eyes with a smile as they headed inside.

"Which drawer?" Rory asked as he bounded up the steps to the console while Stella remained in the doorway.

"That one." Stella pointed and Rory retrieved the box.

"Thanks." Rory said as Stella nodded.

"All set?" Stella asked as Rory placed the ring into a red velvet box with a soft smile.

"Yep." Rory nodded placing the box on the console.

"Good, let's go see what kind of trouble the Doctor and Amy have gotten themselves into." Stella started toward the doors with Rory following.

"They might not have." Rory argued lightly.

"Oh Rory, you know better than that." Stella laughed patting him on the shoulder.

"Yeah." Rory sighed as he and Stella came out of the Tardis coming face to face with an older looking woman.

"Well, that was quick." She commented.

"Was it?" Rory asked as he closed the door before the boy could look inside.

"It's great that you came." The woman thanked them.

"Bit retro. What is it, portable crime lab?" The boy asked.

"Yep, good eye." Stella said easily playing along. "I'm Detective Stella Quinn and this is my junior partner Rory Williams."

"Ambrose Northover." Ambrose shook their hands. "I was the one who called. I run the meals on wheels for the whole valley. This is my son, Elliot."

"Good to meet you both." Stella said formally.

"Where's your uniforms?" Elliot asked.

"Don't be cheeky, Elliot." Ambrose lightly scolded him. "They're plain clothes. CID, is it?" She eyed Stella's bohemian fashion, but brushed it off. "Anyway, it's over here."

"Lead the way then ma'am." Stella said, the woman nodded as she and her son took the lead.

"What are you doing?" Rory asked in a sotto voice to Stella.

"Playing along, see what's going on, that sort of thing. This might be a clue to whatever made the blue grass and is trying to get my and the Doctor's attention." Stella replied softly.

"You mean you don't know why you're interested?" Rory eyed her.

"Not really, now come along Rory." Stella smiled happily looping her arm through his and pulling him along.

-0-

"Restricted access." The Doctor commented as they came up to a large gate. "No unauthorized personnel." The Doctor took out his sonic causing the lock to spark as it unlocked. "Hmm."

"That is breaking and entering." Amy pointed out as she glanced around.

"What did I break? Sonicking and entering." The Doctor corrected her as he pulled the gate open. "Totally different."

"Come on, then." Amy grinned as she went in, the Doctor casting a glance back the way they had come.

"You're sure Stella and Rory'll catch us up?" The Doctor asked as he followed Amy inside.

-0-

"It's a family plot, see. My aunt Gladys died six years ago." Ambrose informed them as they all starred into the empty metal sided empty grave. "Her husband, Alun, died a few weeks back. He lived in the house two doors down. There's not many of us left up here now."

"Mum, they don't care about that." Elliot told her as he balanced on the wood planks surrounding the grave. "They want to know about the dead bodies."

"Yes. Sorry. Well, they always wanted to be buried in the same plot, together." Ambrose went on with her story. "But when we went to bury Uncle Alun, Gladys wasn't there. Gone. Body, coffin, everything."

"What?" Rory looked to her brows furrowed.

"The mad thing is, on the surface, the grave was untouched. No signs of it having been messed with." Ambrose went on.

"Nothing huh, interesting." Stella mumbled as she subtly scanned the area with her eyes, but the readings didn't tell her enough.

"I'm sorry, I don't understand." Rory stated shaking his head.

"Nobody has touched the grave since my aunt was buried. But when they dug it open, the body was gone. How is that possible?" Ambrose asked them.

"Well I can think of countless possibilities, but I need some time to sort through them." Stella smiled brightly.

-0-

"What about now? Can you feel it now?" The Doctor asked Amy as they made their way down a tunnel toward the drilling.

"Honestly, I've got no idea what you're on about." Amy replied in frustration.

"The ground doesn't feel like it should." The Doctor pressed as he twirled some grass he hand picked up in his hand.

"It's ten years in the future. Maybe how this ground feels is how it always feels." Amy tried.

"Good thought, but no, it doesn't." The Doctor took out his sonic. "Hear that, drill in start-up mode. Afterwaves of a recent seismological shift and blue grass."

The Doctor slid his sonic back into his pocket and put the grass into his mouth worrying it, and then almost instantly spitting it out. His tongue hung out in disgust at the taste pulling a face and scraping the grass from his tongue.

"Oh, please. Have you always been this disgusting?" Amy's face scrunched up as she watched him.

"No, that's recent. What's in…" The Doctor pushed open some door leading into a larger room filled with drilling gear. "…here?" The woman in the room looked up at their entrance. "Hello."

"Who are you? What're you doing here?" The woman demanded then she took note of Amy's clothing. "And what're you wearing?"

"I dressed for Rio." Amy defended herself getting another strange look as the Doctor popped her lightly on the arm.

"Ministry of Drills, Earth and Science." The Doctor held out his psychic paper flashing it quickly before putting it away again. "New Ministry, quite big, just merged. It's lot of responsibility on our shoulders." The Doctor moved over to some monitors. "Don't like to talk about it. What are you doing?"

"None of your business." Nasreen snapped.

"Where are you getting these readings from?" The Doctor asked as he eyed the report.

"Under the soil." Nasreen replied picking up the machine she had been using on a patch of earth and moving it away.

"The drill's up and running again." Mack said as he came into the room. "What's going on? Who are these people?"

"Amy, the Doctor. We're not staying, are we, Doctor?" Amy asked in a warning voice as she leaned against some machinery and the Doctor moved over to the patch of earth, running the dirt through his fingers.

"Why's there a big patch of earth in the middle of your floor?" The Doctor ignored her, focusing instead on the uncovered earth.

"We don't know. It just appeared overnight." Nasreen replied. Amy pushed off from the machinery walking over to the whole peering down at it, Mack also standing next to the hole.

"Good. Right. You all need to get out of here very fast." The Doctor said quickly as he went back to the monitors and started to type.

"Why?" Nasreen asked.

"What's your name?" The Doctor asked her.

"Nasreen Chaudhry." She answered.

"Look at the screens, Nasreen. Look at your readings." The Doctor pointed to the monitors. "It's moving."

"Hey, that's specialized equipment. Get away from it." Mack ordered moving over to the Doctor and Nasreen as Amy kneeled down by the hole which started to fill with thick fog like steam.

"What is?" Nasreen asked.

"Doctor, this steam, is that a good thing?" Amy asked.

"Shouldn't think so. It's shifting when it shouldn't be shifting." The Doctor said as he moved back a few steps eyeing the steam.

"What shouldn't?" Nasreen asked as a rumble from below filled the room.

"The ground, the soil, the earth, moving. But how? Why?" The Doctor questioned looking form the hole and back to the readings a couple of times as everything shook.

"Earthquake?" Amy offered.

"What's going on?" Mack asked.

"Doubt it, because it's only happening under this room." The Doctor said. Two more holes suddenly appeared in the floor, then three more right after that, all of them filled with the thick steam. "It knows we're here. It's attacking. The ground's attacking us."

"No, no that's not possible." Nasreen denied.

"Under the circumstances, I'd suggest, run!" The Doctor shouted sending them all into motion, the Doctor grabbing hold of Nasreen and pulling her along as the holes seemed to follow them.

"Tony!" Nasreen called out when Mack's foot got caught in one of them.

"Stay back, Amy. Stay away from the earth." The Doctor called out as Amy jumped over a hole to help Mack.

"It's okay." Amy assured him just as a hole opened under her feet.

"It's pulling me down." Amy yelled as the Doctor ran over to her.

"Amy!" The Doctor called out as he grabbed her hands.

"Doctor, help me. Something's got me." Amy whimpered as they held onto each other.

"Stay away from it." The Doctor snapped at Nasreen as she made her way over to Mack.

"Doctor, the ground's got my legs." Amy said fearfully.

"I've got you." The Doctor assured her.

"Okay." Amy said as Nasreen pulled Mack free. "Don't let go."

"Never." The Doctor said as the ground continued to suck her down, the Doctor moving with her to maintain his hold on Amy.

"Doctor, what is it, and why is it doing this?" Amy asked.

"Stay calm. Keep hold of my hand. Don't let go." The Doctor told her as the earth was now up to her chest. The Doctor looked to Narseen and Mack. "Your drill, shut it down. Go. Now!

"Can you get me out?" Amy asked as Narseen and Mack ran out.

"Amy, try and stay calm. If you struggle, it'll make things worse. Keep hold of my hand." The Doctor told her. I'm not going to let you go."

"Doctor, it's pulling me down. Something's pulling me." Amy yelled as the Doctor momentarily lost his grip, scrambling back to her and retaking her hands in his.

"Stay calm. Now, hold on till they can just shut down the drill." The Doctor told her as the dirt came up to the shoulders.

"I can't hold on!" Amy panicked as the dirt was up to her neck. "What's pulling me? What is under the earth? I don't want to suffocate under there."

"Amy, concentrate. Don't you give up." The Doctor ordered.

"Tell Rory…" Amy said, the earth at her chin then slowly enveloped her face.

"No. Amy! Amy, no!" Amy disappeared below the soil pulled from his hands, the Doctor digging desperately for her. "No! No! No! No! No. No! No. No. No. No…."

He pulled out his sonic, but it was no help either. Nasreen and Mack ran back in to find the Doctor starring down at the hole in fearful shock.

"Where is she?" Narseen asked.

"She's gone. The ground took her." The Doctor breathed out.

-0-

Stella moved around the grave mumbling to herself a bit as she tried to put it all together. She kicked off a rock into the grave, bounce a few times on the edges, but still nothing.

"Can I offer you two anything to drink?" Ambrose asked them.

"Tea would be lovely, thank you." Stella smiled, Rory nodding in agreement.

"Alright then, back in a mo." Ambrose left along taking Elliot with her.

"Stella, what's going on?" Rory asked as soon as the two were out of ear shot.

"I don't know." Stella shrugged as she starred down into the grave.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Rory questioned in disbelief.

"I mean the knowledge of which you are searching for is not contained inside my noggin." Stella tapped the side of her head. "Seriously, I'm running like a thousand search engines on the universal net, I got squat. It's this time periods internet services, they all stink no matter where you are." Stella sighed in annoyance them smiled over to Rory. "Now get in there and tell me if anything is off."

"What?" Rory stepped back from the grave.

"I need you to jump into a grave…hole…thing." Stella gestured to the hole.

"Why me?" Rory asked.

"I'm wearing sandals and it's icky in there." Stella said easily as Rory stared at her. "Off you get."

"Fine." Rory caved and eased himself into the grave cut.

"You feel anything? See anything?" Stella asked as she knelt down next to the grave.

"No, just a lot of mud and the uncomfortable feeling that I am standing in a grave." Rory replied.

"Just think of it as a big hole." Stella smiled.

"Thanks." Rory scoffed.

"That dead people are stored in." Stella went on.

"Oh thanks." Rory rolled his eyes.

"It's no different than a meat locker at the butchers really." Stella added on thoughtfully.

"Please stop." Rory sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Just helping." Stella got a look from the nurse. "Trying bouncing a bit and check the sides." Rory did so bouncing in a puddle of mud and pushing against the sides where the dirt was exposed. "Do you feel anything?"

"It all just feels like wet muddy earth." Rory sighed as Elliot came back up to them.

"Do you want sugar?" Elliot asked them.

"Sorry?" Rory looked to him.

"In your tea. Mum's asking." Elliot replied.

"No. Just white, thanks." Rory said.

"Four lumps for me. I'm going to need the extra sugar for this one." Stella said as she rubbed her hands together.

"There's only one explanation, as far as I can see." Elliot said paced a bit.

"What's that, then?" Stella asked him as she stood back up.

"The graves eat people. Devour them whole, leaving no trace." Elliot said simply.

"Not sure about that." Roy said slowly, seeing Stella's thoughtful look.

"No, no, he may be on to something." Stella turned to Elliot. "Explain."

"They didn't steal the body from above. They couldn't have got in from the sides." Elliot started to explain as he walked on the edge of the grave. "Only other thing is, they get in from underneath."

"Not very likely, though." Rory looked hopefully to Stella.

"But very probable." Stella crossed her arms as Rory glanced down.

"When you've eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." Elliot quoted.

"Sorry?" Rory asked.

"Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes, good quote." Stella complimented.

"Got the audiobook." Elliot smiled proudly. "The graves round here eat people."

With that Elliot turned and walked away back to his house.

"I like him, smart kid." Stella commented.

"Now what?" Rory asked looking up at her.

"I think it's time we went and got the rest of our team, don't you?" Stella held her hand out to Rory easily pulling him out of the grave and starting toward the big mining thing.

-0-

The Doctor paced agitatedly by the hole that had taken Amy, torn between anger and sadness as he tried to think of what to do next.

"Is that what happened to Mo? Are they dead?" Mack questioned fearfully.

"It's not quicksand. She didn't just sink. Something pulled her in. It wanted her." The Doctor reasoned darkly.

"The ground wanted her?" Nasreen echoed from where she stood next to the monitors.

"You said the ground was dormant." The Doctor said as he walked over to her, his hands clenching and un-clenching. "Just a patch of earth, when you first saw it this morning. And the drill had been stopped."

"That's right." Mack nodded.

"But when you re-started the drill, the ground fought back." The Doctor reasoned.

"So what, the ground wants to stop us drilling? Doctor, that is ridiculous." Nasreen scoffed as the Doctor took out his sonic scanning again.

"I'm not saying that, and it's not ridiculous, I just don't think it's right." The Doctor shot back as the hole rumbled briefly and he read his readings. "Oh, of course. It's bio-programming."

"What?" Nasreen asked.

"Bio-programming. Oh, it's clever. You use bio-signals to resonate the internal molecular structure of natural objects." The Doctor explained not that they understood him. "It's mainly used in engineering and construction, mostly jungle planets, but that's way in the future and not here. What's it doing here?"

"Sorry, did you just say jungle planets?" Nasreen asked.

"You're not making any sense, man." Mack said.

"Excuse me, I'm making perfect sense. You're just not keeping up." The Doctor said clearly offending Nasreen who crossed her arms with a look. "If Stella was here she'd explain it to you, but I guess I can give it a go." The Doctor rambled. "The earth, the ground beneath our feet, was bio-programmed to attack."

"Yeah, even if that were possible, which, by the way, it's not, why?" Nasreen asked.

"Stop you drilling. Okay, so we find whatever's doing the bio-programming, we can find Amy." The Doctor said. "We can get her back." The Doctor held up a finger. "Shush, shush, shush. Have I gone mad? I've gone mad."

"Doctor." Nasreen tried.

"Shush, shush. Silence. Absolute silence." The Doctor cut her off. "You've stopped the drill, right?"

"Yes." Nasreen nodded as the Doctor stepped over the whole standing next to them.

"And you've only got the one drill?" The Doctor asked.

"Yes." Nasreen replied.

"You're sure about that?" The Doctor asked.

"Yes." Mack said. The Doctor eyed them before moving back over the hole and laying down stomach first on the ground.

"So, if you shut the drill down, why can I still hear drilling?" The Doctor pressed his ear to the ground as Nasreen and Mack bent over to hear better. "It's under the ground."

"That's not possible." Mack said as the Doctor jumped up and sonicked the computers nearby.

"Oh no, what, what are you doing?" Narseen demanded as they ran over to him.

"Hacking into your records. Probe reports, samples, sensors." The Doctor replied. "Good. Just unite the data, make it all one big conversation. Let's have a look." The Doctor pointed to the monitors. "So, we are here and this is your drill hole. Twenty one point zero zero nine kilometers." The Doctor was impressed. "Well done."

"Thank you. It's taken us a long time." Narseen said proudly.

"Why here, though? Why'd you drill on this site?" The Doctor asked.

"We found patches of grass in this area, containing trace minerals unseen in this country for twenty million years." Nasreen told him.

"The blue grass? Oh, Nasreen. Those trace minerals weren't X marking the spot, saying dig here. They were a warning. Stay away. Because while you've been drilling down, somebody else has been drilling up." The Doctor explained as the deep sensor readings resolved themselves on the screen showing a dome with a network of tunnels coming up from it. "Oh, beautiful. Network of tunnels all the way down."

"No, no, we've surveyed that area." Mack denied as he pointed to the dome.

"You only saw what you went looking for." The Doctor said

"What are they?" Nasreen asked pointing to the blinking lights coming up the tunnels.

"Heat signals. Wait, dual readings, hot and cold, doesn't make sense." The Doctor said looking to the blips. "And now they're moving. Fast. How many people live nearby?"

"Just my daughter and her family. The rest of the staff travel in." Mack replied.

"Grab this equipment and follow me." The Doctor ordered motioning to the monitors as he walked away.

"Why? What're we doing?" Nasreen asked. The Doctor paused coming back and closing one of the monitors.

"That noise isn't a drill, it's transport. Three of them, thirty kilometres down. Rate of speed looks about a hundred and fifty kilometres an hour. Should be here in ooo, quite soon." The Doctor checked his watch. "Twelve minutes. Whatever bio-programmed the Earth is on its way up, now."

The Doctor dashed out of the room taking one of the monitors with him, Mack and Nasreen sharing a look before following him with the equipment, piling most of it into a wheelbarrow that Nasreen pushed while Mack carried the rest.

"How can something be coming up when there's only the Earth's crust down there?" Mack asked once they caught up to the Doctor outside racing down a rural road with grass growing between the wheel tracks.

"You saw the readings." The Doctor replied as they started down a ditch path.

"Who are you, anyway? How can you know all this?" Nasreen asked as a slow red lightning appeared in the sky. "Whoa, did you see that?"

"No, no, no." The Doctor used his sling shot to fire a stone from the ground into the air. It hit the energy shield and vaporizes. "Energy signal originating from under the Earth. We're trapped."

"Doctor, something weirds going on here, the graves are eating people." Rory said as he and Stella ran up to him, Stella having tracked his sonic with her sonic abilities, surprised when he was on the move and no longer at the big mining thing.

"Not now, Rory." The Doctor brushed him off taking hold of Stella's hand keeping her close, the cyborg instantly concerned sensing that something was wrong. "Energy barricade, invisible to the naked eye."

"We can't get out and no one from the outside world can get in." Stella breathed out.

"What? Okay, what about the Tardis?" Rory asked.

"The what?" Nasreen asked. "And who are you two?"

"Stella Quinn and Rory Williams at your service." Stella beamed with a wave of her hand. "And no Rory, those energy patterns would play havoc with the circuits."

"With a bit of time, maybe, but we've only got nine and a half minutes." The Doctor replied checking his watch again as the dome cleared.

"Nine and a half minutes to what?" Rory asked as the Doctor used his sonic.

"We're trapped, and something's burrowing towards the surface." Nasreen told them.

"That would explain the empty graves." Stella placed her free hand on her hip.

"Where's Amy?" Rory asked looking around, taking note of his lack of fiancé.

"Get everyone inside the church." The Doctor ordered picking the monitor back up before looking back at Rory and Stella. "Rory, I'll get her back."

"What do you mean, get her back? Where's she gone?" Rory demanded.

"She was taken. Into the Earth." The Doctor answered hesitantly.

"How?" Stella asked taking his free hand in both of hers, seeing his guilt.

"Why didn't you stop it?" Rory snapped angrily.

"I tried. I promise, I tried." The Doctor said quickly.

"Well, you should've tried harder!" Rory exploded and the Doctor's face fell.

"Rory, that's enough, calm down, we'll find Amy. You panicking will not help her." Stella snapped and Rory back down, but it was clear he was still fuming.

"Stella's right, we'll keep you all safe, I promise." The Doctor said in determination. "Come on, please. I need you alongside me."

"We both do." Stella said and Rory just continued to glare until Stella pulled the Doctor away, giving Rory some room.

"It's going to be ok Theta, Rory will come around and we'll get Amy back." Stella said gripping the Doctor's hand lacing her fingers through his. The Doctor gave Stella a brief smile pressing a kiss to her forehead.

-0-

The other went through the cemetery that was overgrown with grass moving straight up to the old stone church.

"Where's Mo? Is he with you?" Ambrose asked as they came up to the door of the church.

"This flaming door. Always sticking. I thought you were having it fixed." Mack evaded as he tried to get the door open as well as side step his daughters question.

"Dad!" Ambrose snapped as Stella and the Doctor came up followed by an still angry Rory.

"Something's happened to him, hasn't it?" Elliot asked taking note of Mack's face. Stella eyed them for a moment before stepping forward.

"The earth took him like it took Amy is my guess." Stella said bluntly shoving the door open with ease. "But it won't keep him, the Doctor, Rory, and I will get him back along with Amy."

"You can promise me that?!" Ambrose snapped.

"Yes, I can." Stella said meeting Ambrose's gaze before making her way inside the church. There was a nice stained glass window behind the altar, but the small building was obviously just used for storage now.

"So we can't get out, we can't contact anyone, and something, the something that took my husband, is coming up through the Earth." Ambrose summarized as they started to set up the equipment they had brought from the big mining thing.

"Yes. If we move quickly enough, we can be ready." The Doctor replied.

"No, stop. This has gone far enough. What is this?" Ambrose demanded.

"He's telling the truth, love." Mack told her.

"Come on. It's not the first time we've had no mobile or phone signals. Reception's always rubbish." Ambrose was in denial and wanting to protect an already worried Elliot.

"Look, Ambrose." Nasreen looked up from her work. "We saw the Doctor's friend get taken, okay? You saw the lightning in the sky. I have seen the impossible today, and the only person who's made any sense of it for me, is the Doctor."

"Him?" Ambrose scoffed.

"Me." The Doctor grinned as he popped up from behind a table.

"Can you really get my dad back? Miss Stella said you could, can you?" Elliot asked looking between the time lord and cyborg who turned from their work to face the boy.

"Yes." The Doctor said right away then walked up to Ambrose as he spoke. "But I need you to trust us and do exactly as I or Stella say from this second onwards, because we're running out of time."

"So tell us what to do." Ambrose gave in, close to tears for fear of her husband and the unknown.

"Thank you. We have eight minutes to set up a line of defense." The Doctor said as he backed up checking his watch.

"Bring us every phone, every camera, every piece of recording or transmitting equipment you can find." Stella ordered as they led them back out of the church, Rory going through a pile of procured recording devices.

"Every burglar alarm, every movement sensor, every security light." The Doctor listed off as they moved through the cemetery sonicing the devices.

"We want the whole area covered with sensors." Stella said taking in their surroundings as they all set about securing the perimeter. Once they were set up they returned to the monitors where the dots were still heading up towards the surface on the computer screens.

"Right, guys, we need to be ready for whatever's coming up. I need a map of the village marking where the cameras are going." The Doctor patted Elliot on his shoulder as he passed him by looking to where Stella was working with Nasreen and Mack at the monitors.

"I can't do the words. I'm dyslexic." Elliot frowned.

"Oh, that's all right, I can't make a decent meringue." The Doctor handed him some paper. "Draw like your life depends on it, Elliot."

"Six minutes forty." Mack said as Elliot ran off. Mack looked over the new CCTV array he was getting ready. "Works in quadrants. Every movement sensor and trip light we've got. If anything moves, we'll know."

"Good lad." The Doctor smiled then he went over to Stella taking her hand in his. "Come along Stella, I have a few more things I want to gather."

"Right, Nasreen, Mack, you got it?" Stella looked to them.

"Yeah, no problem." Nasreen replied as Mack nodded to her.

"Back in a bit." The Doctor said as he and Stella headed out of the church.

-0-

With four minutes to go the Doctor and Stella were examining the inside of Ambrose's meals on wheels van. Stella rapt against the side of the van while the Doctor opened the front door looking into the cab of the truck.

"Seems sturdy enough." Stella commented as the Doctor nodded.

"Oi! What're you doing?" Ambrose asked as she came up to them, her arms loaded.

"Resources." Stella replied. "Every little helps."

"Meals on wheels. What've you got here, then?" The Doctor said as he moved along the side of the truck. "Warmer in the front, refrigerated in the back."

"Bit chilly for a hideout, mind." Ambrose put her armful of rifles and a cricket bat on the seat.

"What are those?" Stella eyed the weapons.

"Like you say, every little helps." Ambrose smiled happily.

"No, no weapons." The Doctor told her. "It's not the way we do things."

"You said we're supposed to be defending ourselves." Ambrose frowned.

"Oh, Ambrose, you're better than this. I'm asking nicely." The Doctor said with a small smile although his eyes showed that he was not really giving her a choice. "Put them away."

Ambrose watched as the two moved away, glancing at her weapons before snatching up her tazer gun stuffing it into her pocket hidden under her jacket.

-0-

Less than three and a half minutes to go Elliot ran in to the church and straight up to the Doctor and Stella with his map.

"Oh, that is really good." Stella ruffled his hair as the Doctor took the map. "I wish I could draw that well."

"Look at that. Perfect. Dyslexia never stopped Da Vinci or Einstein. It's not stopping you." The Doctor grinned as Elliot beamed proudly.

"I don't understand what you're going to do." Elliot commented.

"Two phase plan." The Doctor started to explain to him as he and Stella worked on the monitors. "First, the sensors and cameras will tell us when something arrives."

"Second, if something does arrive, we use this to send a sonic pulse through that network of devices." Stella added on as the Doctor took his sonic from his pocket.

"A pulse which would temporarily incapacitate most things in the universe." The Doctor said as he returned his sonic back to his pocket.

"Knock 'em out." Elliot grinned. The Doctor moved to the monitors on the other side of the table. "Cool."

"Lovely place to grow up round here." The Doctor commented.

"Suppose." Elliot shrugged. "I want to live in a city one day. Soon as I'm old enough, I'll be off."

"I was the same where I grew up." The Doctor said with a small smile.

"Did you get away?" Elliot asked him.

"Yeah." The Doctor nodded starring down at the monitor.

"Do you ever miss it?" Elliot asked causing the Doctor to freeze for a moment.

"So much." The Doctor said sadly. Stella looked up from her monitor over to him, her gaze concerned.

"Do you miss it as well?" Elliot asked Stella whose eyes snapped over to him from the Doctor.

"Oh the Doctor and I didn't grow up in the same place, but yeah, I miss my old home quite often." Stella nodded thinking back to her family. They were all alive right now, safe and sound just on the other side of the world. Practically seeing her train of thought the Doctor moved over to her and squeezed her hand gently making her smile. "But I have a new family now, one that I love very much, and I'm very happy."

"Me to." The Doctor kissed her cheek. They both missed their families and old homes, but they were also happy with the life they had now together.

"Is it monsters coming? Have you met monsters before?" Elliot asked them, looking scared.

"Yeah." The Doctor said truthfully.

"You scared of them?" Elliot asked nervously.

"No, they're scared of me and they are very scared of Stella." The Doctor replied as Stella winked causing Elliot to smile.

"Will you really get my dad back?" Elliot asked.

"No question." Stella nodded ruffling his hair making Elliot smile again.

"I left my headphones at home." Elliot said and started out of the church.

"I'll come with you to get them, no one should be out alone right now." Stella said. "Love, try not to get into trouble while I'm gone."

The Doctor nodded distractedly, his attention taken by the monitors once again. Stella rolled her eyes as she followed Elliot out of the church with one minute to go. Not soon after the Doctor moved out of the church to check on the progress of the others out in the cemetery.

"How're you doing?" The Doctor asked Rory as he came up to him. The nurse was completing the sensor array attached to the side of the building when he looked up at the sky.

"It's getting darker. How can it be getting dark so quickly?" Rory asked as the darkness spread like ink across the dome that they were trapped in.

"Shutting out light from within the barricade. Trying to isolate us in the dark. Which means…" The Doctor glanced around as a deep rumble filled the air. "It's here."

-0-

"They're close to the surface now." Narseen said putting her hand on Mack's starring into each other's eyes then Mack pulled Narseen into a deep kiss.

"Tony." Narseen smiled adjusting her glassed when they pulled back.

"Like you didn't know." Mack said kissing her one more time as the clock ticked down to zero and the dots stopped moving.

-0-

"I can't open it. It keeps sticking. The wood's warped." Ambrose said as she and the Doctor tried to budge the door to the church open, the rumbling growing.

"Any time you want to help." The Doctor looked to where Rory was standing behind them.

"Can't you sonic it?" Rory asked.

"It doesn't do wood." The Doctor replied.

"That is rubbish." Rory scoffed.

"Oi, don't diss the sonic." The Doctor snapped and Rory rolled his eyes before helping them force open the door just as the ground started shaking sending stacked objects tumbling to the ground. "See if we can get a fix."

The Doctor worked the monitor as it searched the village trying to locate the source, but before he could complete the search the lights exploded violently plunging them into darkness, and all of the electronics went out with the power.

"No power." Mack said as he tried the light switch and the Doctor looked over the monitors.

"It's deliberate." The Doctor said. Mack found a flashlight turning it on as the Doctor started to pace in agitation.

"What do we do now?" Rory asked.

"Nothing. We've got nothing." The Doctor snapped in annoyance. "They sent an energy surge to wreck our systems."

"Is everyone okay? Is anyone hurt?" Rory asked the others going into nurse mode.

"I'm fine." Narseen said.

"Me too." Ambrose said as a big rumble broke out coupled with a strange sort of sound.

"Doctor, what was that?" Rory asked as they all looked around nervously.

"It's like the holes at the drill station." Mack said as the Doctor laid down on the ground pressing his ear to it.

"Is this how they happened?" Narseen asked.

"It's coming through the final layer of Earth." The Doctor said standing back to his feet.

"What is?" Narseen said then it went silent, no one speaking for a time.

"The banging's stopped." Mack said as Ambrose came to realize a horrifying fact.

"Where's Elliot? Has anyone seen Elliot? Did he come in?" Ambrose looked around desperately. "Was he in when the door was shut?" She looked to each of them. "Who counted him back in? Who saw him last?"

"I did." The Doctor breathed out as the blood drained from his face noticing another missing person.

"Where is he?" Ambrose demanded.

"He said he was going to get headphones." The Doctor said weakly.

"And you let him go? He was out there on his own?" Ambrose snapped angrily, but the Doctor shook his head, fear gripping his hearts.

"No, Stella went with him." The Doctor said.

-0-

Something was moving in the graveyard as Stella and Elliot ran hand in hand. Stella glanced over her shoulder and wrapped her arms around Elliot shielding him from one of the shadows that fired something that hit Stella in the neck causing her to cry out in pain.

"Stella!" Elliot called out as Stella stumbled holding onto a gravestone, trying to stay up. Elliot ran up to her gripping her hand fearfully as he glanced around at the moving shadows.

"Run…keep running. Get the others." Stella gasped out as the world shifted around her.

"But…" Elliot tried, but Stella pushed him forward.

"Go! Get help!" Stella ordered and Elliot reluctantly did so. Stella watched him run the rest of the way before her vision went black and she fell to the ground, the shadows from before closing in on her.

"Mum! Grandpa Tony! Let me in!" Elliot yelled and started to pound on the door. "Stella needs help, she's hurt!"

"Elliot!" Ambrose and the others ran for the door, the Doctor's hearts freezing at Elliot's cry.

"Let me in." Elliot called out.

"He's out there. Help me!" Ambrose struggled with the door.

"Open the door. Mum! There's something out here, it hurt Stella." Elliot called out.

"Push, Elliot." Ambrose yelled. "Push, Elliot. Give it a shove."

"Mum. Hurry up." Elliot yelled as something looks down on him. "Mum."

"Come on." Mack urged and the door finally opened.

"Elliot! Where is he? He was here. He was here. Elliot!" Ambrose raced out amongst the grave stones.

"I don't see Stella either. Stella!" The Doctor called out in a panic, then saw Ambrose heading further out into the graveyard. "Ambrose, don't go running off!"

"Ambrose!" Mack ran after her.

"Elliot, it's Mum." Ambrose called out stopping short when she found his headphones on the ground, falling to her knees she picked them up. "Nooo!" Ambrose cried out then something knocked her over. "Get off me!" Mack grabbed it from behind struggling to keep a hold of it, but it wriggled free. He shined his torch on a human sized reptilian biped. Before he could react it flicked its extensible tongue out stinging Mack's neck sending him to the ground allowing it to get away. Ambrose ran over to her father holding him close. "Dad!"

"What happened?" The Doctor ran over to them.

"My dad's hurt." Ambrose said.

"Get him into the church now." The Doctor ordered.

"Elliot's gone. They've killed him and Stella, haven't they?" Ambrose sobbed.

"I don't think so. They've taken four people when they could've just killed them up here. There's still hope, Ambrose. There is always hope." The Doctor said, seeming to be trying to reassure himself more than Ambrose.

"Then why have they taken them?" Ambrose demanded.

"I don't know. I'll find Elliot, I promise, and I will find my Stella as well, you can bet on that." The Doctor said in determination. "But first I've got to stop this attack. Please, get inside the church."

"Come on, Dad." Ambrose gathered up her father helping him back to the church.

The Doctor glanced down and saw not too far away Stella's rose colored glasses setting on the edge of an open grave. He slowly approached them kneeling down and picking them up finding one of the lenses cracked. Rory came up to him seeing the glasses and feeling his heart sink even further. First his fiancé and now a dear friend, both taken with barely a clue on how to find them. He looked to the Doctor taking in his heartbroken worried look and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"So what now?" Rory asked looking in concern to the Doctor as he gripped the glasses before placing them in his pocket, his face becoming determined as he led Rory away without a single word.

-0-

Stella slowly came to, the fog clearing from her head, well at least it was letting up. She opened her eyes waiting for the blur to clear up and found herself in some sort of jungle like underground lab. She was strapped, much to her discomfort, to an upright bed.

"Well this is just not cool at all." Stella grumbled as she tried to gather her scattered memories. She had a vague recollection of being decontaminated by a greenish white blur. Her cybertronic implants was the only thing that compensated for the things that were harmed in the process of that she was sure, but it did leave her with a pounding headache.

She glanced around and saw a man who she assumed was Mo strapped to another upright bed to her right unconscious. There was a vertical line going down the center of his chest which meant dissection and was already scarred which meant advanced technology, she was just thankful that he was alive. All she had to do now was get him out, find Amy, and reunite with their loved ones, easy. She tried to move, but found herself to be immobilized, not even her sonic fingers worked.

"I see you're awake." Malohkeh commented as he came into the room.

"Yeah, it would seem…." Stella did a double take, her eyes filling with wild fear as she struggled to get her body to respond as her hearts picked up to a very uncomfortable rate. "No…no…please…."

"I was going to dissect the other female first, but you my dear are far more interesting." Malohkeh moved over to his table which held his medical tools, moving them closer to Stella.

"Get away from me." Stella cried out.

"Calm down, you won't feel a thing." Malohkeh assured her, but it didn't calm Stella at all. Tears streamed from her eyes as he closed in with a Silurian scalpel in hand.

"Get away from me!" Stella sobbed, crying uncontrollably. "Please…please…"

Stella shrieked as Malohkeh started his dissection of Stella, the blade slicing into her skin and moving down, her blue blood running down her chest. Mo woke up to her screaming sobs, watching helplessly, unable to do anything to stop it.

-0-

The Doctor donned a pair of infra-red sunglasses looking to his hand through them seeing the blurry redness of it. He then scanned the surrounding area then started walking down the street to a more vegetated area and spotted a dark shape moving through the bushes.

"Cold blood. I know who they are." The Doctor smiled, but it quickly dropped. "Oh Stella…"

The Doctor went back to the van taking off his glasses as he waited, using himself as bait, whistling to draw attention to himself. He reached into the van grabbing the CO2 fire extinguisher closing the door and spotting the creature in the reflection of the window. It hissed as it readied to attack him the Doctor moving out of the way at the last minute and shot the CO2 off hitting it straight in the face causing it to scream. Rory burst out of the back of the van with a scream, and he and the Doctor bundled it inside securing the doors.

"We got it." Rory said.

"Defending the planet with meals on wheels." The Doctor said as they high fived, but were interrupted by another rumble.

"What was that?" Rory asked

"Sounds like they're leaving." The Doctor replied.

"Without this one?" Rory asked as the energy dome became transparent, letting the sunshine in once again. "Looks like we scared them off."

"I don't think so. Now both sides have hostages." The Doctor looked back to the truck. "Lizard people, why did it have to be lizard people."

"What?" Rory looked to him, but the Doctor grimly shook his head, his hearts pounding with fear for his Starlight.

-0-

Melohkeh looked quickly from the monitors back to Stella who was shaking violently on the bed, her eyes rolling in the back of her head. Her hearts were beating far too rapidly and her screams were horrifying to say the least.

"What have you done?!" Mo yelled as Malohkeh rushed to stabilize her.

"She is simply having a seizure." Malohkeh replied taking a syringe filled with a green liquid.

"What is that? What are you doing to her?" Mo snapped.

"It is a sedative." Malohkeh pressed the syringe into Stella's neck pressing the plunger down causing Stella to slump going completely limp. "An interesting reaction."

"Interesting!" Mo screamed. "She was having a seizure, you could have killed her!"

"But I did not." Malohkeh released Stella placing her on a rolling bed.

"Where are you taking her?" Mo growled.

"To a stasis chamber, to stabilize and fix in damage done to her." Malohkeh said before rolling Stella out. He paused as he heard the shuffling from where he was keeping the other female, then she called out.

"Let me out. Can anybody hear me? I'm alive in here! Let me out!" Amy screamed pounding on the walls around her. "I know you're out there. My name is Amy Pond and you'd better get me the hell out of here or so help me I am going to kick your backside. Please?"

"Shush." Malohkeh leaned over her.

"Did you just shush me? Did you just shush me?" Amy snapped then gas entered the coffin. "No, no, no. No, don't do that. No gas." Amy coughs and passed out. "No gas!

-0-

"So, I think I've met these creatures before. Different branch of the species, mind, but all the same." The Doctor said trying to remain calm as he and Rory went through the back door of the church that led to the basement. "Let's see if our friend's thawed out."

"Are you sure? By yourself?" Rory asked as they went down the stairs of the basement where they were keeping their prisoner.

"Very sure." The Doctor said tensely, trying to remain calm in the presence of one of the beings that took his fiancé.

"But the sting?" Rory pointed out.

"Venom gland takes at least twenty four hours to recharge. Am I right?" The Doctor narrowed his eyes as the lizard woman who made not move to answer. "I know what I'm doing." The Doctor assured Rory. "I'll be fine."

Rory nodded stiffly, casting one more look at the reptile before going back upstairs as the Doctor clapped his hands moving down the stairs. Their prisoner slowly moved out of the shadows, her chains rattling.

"I'm the Doctor. I've come to talk. I'm going to remove your mask." The Doctor said slowly as he approached her. The mask looked like a reptile face, with very big black eyes. He reached out and gently removed it revealing the lizard face underneath. "You are beautiful. Remnant of a bygone age on planet Earth." The Doctor commented, his worry for Stella doubling. Besides color and habitat there was very little difference between Lacetra and Silurian. "And by the way, lovely mode of travel. Geothermal currents projecting you up through a network of tunnels. Gorgeous." The Doctor took a plastic seat and sat down in it. "Mind if I sit? Now. Your people have a friend of mine as well as my lovely fiancé. I want them back. Why did you come to the surface?" She said nothing. "What do you want?" She remained silent. "Oh, I do hate a monologue. Give us a bit back. How many are you?"

"I'm the last of my species." She replied.

"Really. No. Last of the species. The Klempari Defence. As an interrogation defense, it's a bit old hat, I'm afraid." The Doctor easily saw through her.

"I'm the last of my species." She repeated.

"No. You're really not. Because I'm the last of my species and I know how it sits in a heart." The Doctor leaned forward, his eyes showing just how it felt. "So don't insult me. Let's start again. Tell me your name."

"Alaya." She gave in.

"How long has your tribe been sleeping under the Earth, Alaya?" The Doctor took note of her shocked look. "It's not difficult to work out. You're three hundred million years out of your comfort zone. Question is, what woke you now?"

"We were attacked." Alaya said.

"The drill." The Doctor nodded.

"Our sensors detected a threat to our life support systems. The warrior class was activated to prevent the assault. We will wipe the vermin from the surface and reclaim our planet." Alaya hissed.

"Do we have to say vermin? They're really very nice." The Doctor commented.

"Primitive apes." Alaya said.

"Extraordinary species." The Doctor countered. "You attack them, they'll fight back. But, there's a peace to be brokered here. I can help you with that."

"This land is ours. We lived here long before the apes." Alaya narrowed her eyes.

"Doesn't give you automatic rights to it now, I'm afraid. Humans won't give up the planet." The Doctor said.

"So we destroy them." Alaya said confidently.

"You underestimate them." The Doctor said.

"You underestimate us." Alaya countered.

"One tribe of homo reptilia against six billion humans? You've got your work cut out." The Doctor cautioned her.

"We did not initiate combat, but we can still win." Alaya said raising her chin as she stood to her feet.

"Tell me where my friend is. Tell me where my fiancé is. Give us back the people who were taken." The Doctor said with a tense calmness as he remained seated.

"No." Alaya denied with satisfaction and the Doctor sighed as he stood up to his feet.

"I'm not going let you provoke a war, Alaya. There'll be no battle here today." The Doctor folded his chair placing it back against the wall.

"The fire of war is already lit. A massacre is due." Alaya replied.

"Not while I'm here." The Doctor defied her.

"I'll gladly die for my cause. What will you sacrifice for yours?" Alaya questioned with a wicked grin, the Doctor's mind flashing to Stella.

-0-

"You're going to what?" Rory demanded when the Doctor told them his plan from where he sat in a plastic covered easy chair, the others sitting on various things facing him while Ambrose remained standing.

"I'm going to go down below the surface, to find the rest of the tribe, to talk to them." The Doctor repeated.

"You're going to negotiate with these aliens?" Ambrose questioned in disgust.

"They're not aliens. They're Earth-liens. Once known as the Silurian race, or, some would argue, Eocenes, or Homo Reptilia. Not monsters, not evil." The Doctor corrected her leaning back into the chair, his hand wrapped around Stella's sunglasses. "Well, only as evil as you are. The previous owners of the planet, that's all." Everyone still looked doubtful. "Look, from their point of view, you're the invaders. Your drill was threatening their settlement." The Doctor reasoned with them as he stood up starting to pace. "Now, the creature in the crypt. Her name's Alaya. She's one of their warriors, and she's my best bargaining chip. I need her alive. If she lives, so do Elliot and Mo and Amy and Stella, because I will find them. While I'm gone, you four people, in this church, in this corner of planet Earth, you have to be the best of humanity."

"And what if they come back? Shouldn't we be examining this creature? Dissecting it, finding its weak points?" Mack asked.

"No dissecting, no examining. We return their hostage, they return ours, and nobody gets harmed." The Doctor said sternly. "We can land this together, if you are the best you can be. You are decent, brilliant people. Nobody dies today. Understand?"

Everyone nodded in acceptance and Nasreen applauded the speech getting a small smile from the Doctor, but looks from the others causing her to slowly stop clapping and start examining her nails an nonchalantly as she could pull off in her embarrassment.

-0-

The Doctor made his way out of the church heading straight for the Tardis with Nasreen followed him and with Mack following her.

"No, sorry, no. What are you doing?" The Doctor questioned her as he stood in front of the Tardis doors.

"Coming with you, of course. What is it, some kind of transport pod?" Nasreen looked over the Tardis tapping the door with the sign on it.

"Sort of, but you're not coming with me." The Doctor denied.

"He's right. You're not." Mack agreed with the Doctor.

"I have spent all my life excavating the layers of this planet, and now you want me to stand back while you head down into it? I don't think so." Nasreen said sternly crossing her arms.

"I don't have time to argue." The Doctor groaned.

"I thought we were in a rush." Nasreen said.

"It'll be dangerous." The Doctor warned her.

"Oh, so's crossing the road." Nasreen brushed him off.

"Oh, for goodness sake." The Doctor smiled. "All right, then. Come on."

"Hey. Come back safe." Mack said seriously.

"Of course." Nasreen smiled patting his cheeks before slipping into the ship.

"Welcome aboard the Tardis. Now, don't touch anything. Very precious." The Doctor said as he worked the controls.

"No way. But, but that's, this is fantastic. What does it do?" Nasreen looked around herself in wonder and awe clapping the Doctor on his arm.

"Everything." The Doctor replied with a wide smile. "I'm hoping, if we're going down, that barricade won't interfere." They got knocked off their feet. "Did you touch something?"

"No. Isn't this what it does?" Nasreen questioned as they held on.

"I'm not doing anything. We've been hijacked. I can't stop it." The Doctor told her. "They must've sensed the electro-magnetic field. They're pulling the Tardis down into the Earth."

The Tardis came to a sudden stop, throwing the Doctor and Nasreen to the floor. Nasreen propped herself up on her elbows when everything had calmed down looking to the Doctor.

"Where are we?" Nasreen asked as she reached out and popped one of his suspenders making him yelp. They quickly clambered to their feet, the Doctor leading the way as they ran for the doors.

-0-

Alaya stood confidently to her feet as soon as she heard the door open and the footsteps coming down the stairs.

"You had to come and see me." Alaya said as Rory came down along with the others.

"We are going to keep you safe." Rory said.

"Your tribe are going to give us back our people in exchange for you." Ambrose said.

"No." Alaya walked up to them as far as her chains would allow. "Shall I tell you what's really going to happen, apes? One of you will kill me. My death shall ignite a war, and every stinking ape shall be wiped from the surface of my beloved planet."

"We won't allow that to happen." Mack stated.

"I know apes better than you know yourselves. I know which one of you will kill me. Do you?" Alaya smirked darkly.

Later, once he was alone, Mack painfully made his way down a hall and set on the ground unbuttoning his shirt to check on his injury in an old dusty mirror. Green veins were spreading from the bandage that covered the initial wound moving down to his chest like thick green roots. His breathing was starting to become ragged and a light sheen of sweat covered his forehead. He quickly pulled his shirt back over it, his face fearful and in pain.

-0-

Loose soil was raining down, gently, from the hole above the Tardis as the Doctor and Nasreen stepped out. They looked around Nasreen dusting off the dirt that fell into her hair while the Doctor let out an echoing whistle of appreciation looking up the way the Tardis had come.

"Looks like we fell through the bottom of their tunnel system." The Doctor commented. "Don't suppose it was designed for handling something like this."

"How far down are we?" Narseen asked in wonder.

"Oh, a lot more than twenty one kilometres." The Doctor answered as he ran his hands along a vine.

"So why aren't we burning alive?" Narseen asked placing her hand on the low ceiling.

"Don't know. Interesting, isn't it?" The Doctor replied.

"It's like this is every day to you." Narseen took in his calm appearance.

"Not every day." The Doctor started down one of the tunnels. "Every other day."

Nasreen watched him run off with a smile as she looked around a bit more, then realizing she was alone quickly took off after him.

-0-

Amy woke up strapped to a near vertical examination table groggily glancing around before taking note of the restraints.

"Don't struggle. Close your eyes and don't struggle." Mo told her gaining her attention.

"What? Where am I? Why can't I move my body?" Amy questioned.

"Decontamination, they call it. They did it to me while I was conscious." Mo said with a dark look. "They did it to her as well. I've never heard someone scream like that…it was…I can't even…"

"Okay, you're freaking me out now. Did what? Who did? Her who?" Amy questioned.

"Dissected us." Mo answered and Amy's eyes dropped to the scar running from sternum to naval. "I was awake when he did it to me and when he did it to her, she was awake as well."

"No." Amy shook her head, eyes wide.

"He's coming. I'm sorry. I wish I could help you." Mo said as Malohkeh, the Silurian scientist approached with a high-tech scalpel in hand, the fear in Amy's eyes growing as she struggled.

-0-

"We're looking for a small tribal settlement probably housing around a dozen Homo Reptilia? Maybe less." The Doctor said going down one tunnel only for Nasreen to go down a side passage and stopped.

"One small tribe." Nasreen echoed.

"Yeah." The Doctor nodded as he doubled back and joined her.

"Maybe a dozen?" Nasreen raised an eyebrow.

"Ah." The Doctor and Nasreen looked down on a vast chamber filled a whole city of buildings and walkways capable of housing many more than just a few dozen. "Maybe more than a dozen. Maybe more like an entire civilization living beneath the Earth."


	9. Chapter 9

AN: Good news is that I have a job, bad news; it is extremely time consuming so updates are probably going to be even slower in coming until everything is settled out. Apologies and thanks for sticking with me. :P

 _-0-_

' _This is the story of our planet, Earth. Of the day a thousand years past when we came to share it with a race know as Humanity. It is the story of the Doctor, who helped our races find common ground, and the terrible losses he suffered. It is the story of our past and must never be forgotten.'_

"This place is enormous and deserted. The majority of the race are probably still asleep." The Doctor informed Nasreen as that walked along dangling sidewalks as rivers of lava flowed below them. The city was carved out of the cave like space they were in and all sorts of tropical plants grew around them. "We need to find Stella and Amy. Looking for heat signature anomalies."

"But Doctor, how can all this be here? I mean, these plants." Nasreen asked.

"Must be getting closer to the center of the city." The Doctor replied.

"You're sure this is the best way to enter?" Nasreen asked as they made their way into some tunnels.

"Front door approach. Definitely. Always the best way." The Doctor said and alarms sounded, blaring loudly throughout the underground city.

' _Hostile life forms detected area seventeen.'_

"Apart from the back door approach. That's also good." The Doctor winced as he turned around walking back the way they had come a bit. "Sometimes better."

' _Hostile life forms detected area seventeen.'_

"Doctor." Nasreen said as the door she was facing slid open allowing Silurian warriors in and another group approached them from behind weapons raised.

' _Hostile life forms detected area seventeen.'_

"We're not hostile. We're not armed. We're here in peace." The Doctor said quickly as he raised his hands up, also pulling up Nasreen's. A warrior stepped forward and gassed them with its weapon sending both of them coughing to the ground until they passed out completely.

-0-

Amy struggled violently against the restraints of the upright bed she was strapped to, but it was no use, no matter how she struggled she couldn't get free.

"Don't you come near me with that." Amy ordered fearfully as Malohkeh approached with the strange scalpel. He paused before her taking off his medical mask then reached over to a small device mounted on the wall and pressed the button activating it.

"From the clothing, the human females appear to be more resistant to the cold than the male." He made the audio note into the device.

"I dressed for Rio!" Amy snapped then realized what he had said. "Wait, females? As in there's another down here? Who's the other?"

"Leave her alone. You've got me. You've already dissected the other, that's enough!" Mo called out as Malohkeh pressed another button on a small controller and Amy's wrists were clamped tighter causing her to call out in pain though her eyes flickered to where Malohkeh placed the controller into the pocket of his lab coat.

"Decontamination complete. Commencing dissection." Malohkeh raised his scalpel and was about to bring it down when they were interrupted.

"Area Seventeen incursion. Species diagnostic requested. Area Seventeen incursion. Species diagnostic requested." The system called out over the comm. and Malohkeh ran out.

"Yeah. And stay out." Amy called out after him while fingering the restraints control she had picked from Malohkeh and freed herself.

"How did you get that?" Mo asked in amazement as Amy laughed running over to him.

"You never picked a lizard man's pocket?" Amy released him with a bit of a grin. "Was there another person down here with you? He said females and you mentioned a "her" a couple of times."

"It was woman with long light ginger hair." Mo replied, then shook his head. "The real strange thing though was her blood."

"What about it?" Amy asked as her stomach tightened.

"It was blue." Mo said and Amy's stomach dropped.

"Stella, they have Stella…" Amy gasped as they blood drained from her face, her hand covering her mouth in shock.

"You know her?" Mo asked.

"She's one of my best friends. What happened to her?" Amy questioned urgently.

"She reacted…badly to what he was doing to her. It was like she went wild, some sort of PTSD or something." Mo said as he recalled the horrific screams, the pain and anguish of them still ringing in his ears. "He could barely keep her restrained while he dissected her, they started to buckle, but then she started convulsing, like a seizure so he used something to put her to sleep and took her away, said he had to stabilize her he said."

"They have no idea what they've brought down on themselves." Amy mumbled with a dark glare as well as a small tremble at the thought of the Doctor on the war path. "Come on, before he gets back."

They made their way down the various Silurian tunnels trying to find a way out or a way to contact the others.

"That creature, do you think it was an alien? Any more of them, do you think? Do you think the Earth's been invaded?" Mo questioned Amy as they stepped through a doorway.

"Don't know. But I know someone who could have some answers." Amy replied. "We need to get back to the surface and find him." Amy stopped in front of another door, but it was different from all of the others, it was metal. "I wonder where this leads." Amy glanced over to Mo. "Maybe it's a way out of here."

Amy pressed a button on a wall panel and a screen lit up flickering through various images until it stopped at a human form. The window in the door lit up and Mo peered in to see his son Elliot inside.

"Oh, my God, no." Mo breathed out hard.

"What is it?" Amy asked as Mo tried to get the door open.

"It's my son. It's Elliot. What've they done to him? He's in there." Mo stepped back and Amy peered in at the young bow. "We have to get him out. Elliot?" Mo tried to access the panel. "Elliot, it's Dad."

"Access denied. Unauthorized genetic imprint."

"Stop. Seriously, we can't get in." Amy stopped him, gently pushing him away from the alcove.

"That's my boy in there." Mo grieved.

"These screens, they're monitoring something. I think they're vital signs." Amy told him. "Heartbeats, pulses. Why else would he be wired up? He's still alive."

"All right." Mo said reluctantly. "We find weapons, get that creature from the lab and force it to release Elliot, yeah?"

"Yeah. Trust me. We'll get him out." Amy said as they backed away from Elliot, the chamber going dark again, the something caught Amy's eye. It was a blue glow in another of the pods and the cybertronic pattern was very familiar. She quickly pressed the controls lighting it up to reveal Stella, but unlike Elliot her eyes were not serene, but filled with terrifying desperate fear, tears streaming from them though she was just as unconscious as Elliot. "Stella."

"That's the other woman they brought down here, she was part machine." Mo said to Amy, feeling slightly guilty for not being able to help her. Her lines were pulsing erratically as her systems tried to repair the damage Malohkeh had done to her systems when he was dissecting her.

"She's also the Doctor's fiancé." Amy said placing her hand on the glass, deeply worried for her friend.

"Is that important?" Mo asked softly.

"Let's just say I wouldn't want to be a lizard man when he finds her or when she wakes up." Amy said just thinking of the sleeping giants that were about to wake up. "We better go before someone catches us."

-0-

The Doctor was being scanned by a green cross light which moved over his body, and it hurt as he yelled out in pain, writhing against the upright bed. His head shook from side to side as the scan progressed along with the pain.

"How can they have escaped? This proves all prisoners should remain under military guard." Restac said angrily as she walked up to Malohkeh.

"I'm sure you'd prefer to be in charge of everything and everyone, Restac, but we rank the same." Malohkeh said as he looked up from the medical device he was using. "Is there any word from Alaya?"

"No." Restac said stiffly. The scan stopped giving the Doctor a brief moment escape from the pain and his eyes moved about the room until they stopped at the cuffs incasing his wrists. He couldn't help but to notice the scant trace of blue blood stains on them making his hearts go cold.

"It's fine to show concern, you know. She's part of your gene-chain." Malohkeh commented as he moved over to the controls inserting one of his tools into it. "I'm decontaminating now."

"Decontamination? No, no, no." The Doctor screamed as a new wave of pain hit him causing his whole body to shake painfully. "No! Argh!"

"It's all right, it won't harm you. I'm only neutralizing all your ape bacteria." Malohkeh assured him noticing the similar reaction he was having to the robotic woman, but she had come out of it fine.

"I'm not an ape. Look at the scans. Two hearts. Totally different. Totally not ape!" The Doctor screamed. "Remove all human germs, you remove half the things keeping me alive."

Malohkeh ran a scan and saw that he was telling the truth as soon as it came up on his screen. He quickly turned off the decontamination machine realizing that the woman had survived due to her inorganic parts and that the male had none to keep him alive.

"No, complete the process." Restac ordered, but Malohkeh payed her no heed.

"Oh, that's much better, thanks." The Doctor breathed out in relief, his face pale. "Not got any celery, have you? No. No, not really the climate. Tomatoes, though. You'd do a roaring trade in those. I'm the Doctor." Malohkeh walked over to Nasreen and used a device to wake her up while Restec approached the Doctor. "Oh, and there's Nasreen. Good. "

"Oh, a green man." Nasreen said groggily.

"Hello. Who are you?" The Doctor asked as he eyed the lizard woman in front of him.

"Restac, Military commander." Restac raised her chin.

"Oh dear, really? There's always a military, isn't there?" The Doctor grimaced.

"Your weapon was attacking the oxygen pockets above our city." Malohkeh told him, still next to Nasreen.

"Oxygen pockets, lovely." The Doctor smiled then his face lit up in realization. "Ooo, but not so good with an impending drill. Now it makes sense."

"Where is the rest of your invasion force?" Restac asked.

"Invasion force. Me and lovely Nasreen? No. We came for the humans you took and my fiancé Stella." The Doctor said, his eyes flashing with restrained anger. "And to offer the safe return of Alaya." Restac reacted minutely to the mentioning of Alaya, the Doctor spotting it right away. "Oh wait, you and she, what is it, same genetic source? Of course you're worried, but don't be, she's safe."

"You claim to come in peace, but you hold one of us hostage." Restac snarled as she walked away and the guards took position on either side of the Doctor and Nasreen.

"Wait, wait, we all want the same thing here." The Doctor tried to reason.

"I don't negotiate with apes." Restac spat out as she and Malohkeh walked back out into the main part of the lab. "I'm going to send a clear message to those on the surface."

"What's that?" The Doctor asked.

"Your execution." Restac said in satisfaction.

"Yes." The Doctor said slowly.

-0-

Amy and Mo made their way through the tunnels past another set of sliding doors when they came to a tunnel that was lined with glass cases. This was not the first tunnel they had encountered that was set up like this, but this one had one slight difference.

"These chambers are all over the city." Amy said as she pressed the control on the side of one of the cases and lit up two of them, both containing Silurians unlike the others which had been empty.

"Urgh. Turn it off, quick." Mo said as he stumbled back away from the case and Amy turned the light back off. They were still for a breath then realized something. "They're not moving."

"Maybe they're asleep. Let's have another look." Amy said lighting the and opening a set of the chambers.

"No, Amy, don't. Don't." Mo tried to stop her, but she went inside, the Silurian remaining still. "Amy, what are you doing? Get out of there."

"Some sort of suspended animation." Amy commented as Mo slowly moved closer. "I wonder what these are?" Amy looked down at the discs the Silurians were standing on. "The Doctor and Stella would know. They always knows."

"Hey, look." Mo looked above the two Silurians where tunnels headed straight up.

"Wait. I've got it. It's how they came up to the surface." Amy said in realization. "Some sort of powered transport discs. It's our way out of here."

"Even better. Weapons." Mo took the weapon from the soldier. "Come on, now we can fight back."

Amy hesitantly took one of the other weapons before they stepped out of the chambers and switched the light back off allowing the doors to slide down.

"Which way now?" Mo asked.

"Door at the end." Amy replied making her way down the tunnel.

"Are you sure?" Mo asked.

"No." Amy said as they moved through the door which led to a balcony overlooking a vast chamber, containing warriors as far as the eye could see.

"Wow." Mo said.

"Yeah." Amy replied.

"We don't stand a chance." Mo said in shock at how many there were.

"We have to find the Doctor." Amy said leading him away.

-0-

The Doctor and Nasreen were under escort through the vast underground tropical city of the Silurians. They walked past a small waterfall and there were all sorts of plants from the bi-gone era of the dinosaurs that had never been seen by human eyes outside of a fossil.

"These must be the only ones awake." The Doctor commented to Nasreen as they were led along. "The others must still be in hibernation."

"So, why did they go into hibernation in the first place?" Nasreen asked.

"Their astronomers predicted the planet heading to Earth on a crash course." The Doctor explained to her as they ducked under various plants. "They a built life underground and put themselves to sleep for millennia in order to avert what they thought was the apocalypse, when in reality it was the moon coming into alignment with the Earth."

"How can you know that?" Malohkeh asked as they all came to a stop.

"Long time ago, I met another tribe of Homo Reptilia." The Doctor replied somewhat reluctantly. "Similar, but not identical."

"Others of our species have survived?" Restac questioned hopefully.

"The humans attacked them." The Doctor replied with deep regret, the hope Restac had dying away and her eyes going cold again. "They died. I'm sorry."

"A vermin race." Restac hissed before forcing them on their way.

-0-

They came to a large light golden room with a high ceiling, a large window overlooking the Silurian city, and a long table in the middle with ranks of black marble benches along the walls like gym room risers.

"You're not authorized to do this." Malohkeh told Restac as her soldiers took up positions keeping the prisoners covered.

"I am authorized to protect the safety of our species while they sleep." Restac replied.

"Oh, lovely place. Very gleaming." The Doctor commented looking around the room.

"This is our court and our place of execution." Restac said raising her chin.

"Let them go." Amy came into the room walking straight over to Restac with her weapon drawn while Mo came in the way Restac had led them into the room.

"Amy Pond. There's a girl to rely on." The Doctor grinned, his eyes glancing around for a sign of Stella, but saw none making his hearts give a fearful leap in his chest.

"You're covered both ways, so don't try anything clever, buster." Amy informed the lizard people.

"Mo." Nasreen said in relief.

"Now let them go, or I shoot." Amy ordered as Restac moved towards her, calculating the young red head. Amy made no move to actually fire, but still wanted Restac to think she would. "I'm warning you.

Restac scoffed then easily disarmed Amy pulling the gun from her hands and pointing it at her.

"Don't you touch her!" The Doctor called out.

"And you." Restac looked to Mo with a challenging glare. He reluctantly relinquished his gun.

"All right, Restac, you've made your point." Malohkeh tried.

"This is now a military tribunal. Go back to your laboratory, Malohkeh." Restac replied with a hiss as one of her soldiers jabbed the scientist in the back.

"This isn't the way." Malohkeh said with a shake of his head before he walked away.

"Prepare them for execution." Restac ordered and the soldiers pushed them all along.

"Okay, sorry. As rescues go, didn't live up to its potential." Amy said as the four of them were shacked to rings on a pair of columns.

"I'm glad you're okay." The Doctor told her with a smile.

"Me too." Amy nodded wide eyed. "Lizard men, though."

"Homo Reptilia. They occupied the planet before humans." The Doctor explained. "Now they want it back."

"After they've wiped out the human race." Nasreen added on.

"Right. Preferred it when I didn't know, to be honest." Amy winced as the soldier lined up in front of them with their weapons raised.

"Do you know where Stella is?" The Doctor asked Amy, his eyes shining with concern.

"They have her in some sort of stasis pod, but Doctor…." Amy trailed off uncomfortably, worried about what she was about to say would affect him.

"What? What is it?" The Doctor demanded getting angry and fearful at Amy's hesitancy. "Amy!"

"They…they experimented on her, they dissected her and from what Mo said it sounded like she had a PTSD attack, a really bad one." Amy said and the Doctor's face went pale as a sheet at the same time his eyes harden, the storm starting to brew.

"Why are they waiting? What do you think they're going to do with us?" Nasreen asked as the reptilians worked on some controls then Rory appeared on a large holographic screen in front of them.

"I speak for the humans. Some of us, anyway." Roy said hesitantly as he approached the computer screen that the Silurians were using to broadcast with.

"Do you understand who we are?" Restac questioned.

"Sort of. A bit. Not really." Rory replied truthfully as he shook his head.

"We have ape hostages." Restac threatened.

"Doctor! Amy!" Rory called out as he, Tony, and Ambrose ran to the screen.

"Mo! Mo, are you okay?" Ambrose cried.

"I'm fine, love. I've found Elliot. I'm bringing him home." Mo told her causing her to start to sob.

"Amy, I thought I'd lost you." Rory said in relief.

"What, cause I was sucked into the ground? You're so clingy." Amy teased with a playful roll of her eyes.

"Tony Mack!" Nasreen called out.

"Having fun down there?" Mack smiled.

"Where's Stella?" Rory asked.

"In a stasis…thing." Amy replied.

"Not to interrupt, but just a quick reminder to stay calm." The Doctor said pointedly.

"Show me Alaya. Show me, and release her immediately unharmed, or we kill your friends one by one." Restac hissed out through gritted teeth.

"No." Ambrose snapped.

"Ambrose." Rory tried to stop her.

"Steady now, everyone." The Doctor tried.

"Ambrose, stop it." Tony attempted to pull her back.

"Get off me, Dad." Ambrose shook out of his grasp. "We didn't start this."

"Let Rory deal with this, Ambrose, eh?" The Doctor said nervously.

"We are not doing what you say any more. Now, give me back my family." Ambrose demanded and all was quiet as they eyed each other.

"No." Restac said with dark relish in her voice. "Execute the girl."

"No! No, wait!" Rory called out pushing Ambrose aside to get to the screen as the guards pointed their guns at Amy.

"Rory!" Amy yelled.

"She's not speaking for us." Rory said.

"There's no need for this." The Doctor reasoned as they unchained Amy and pushed her in front of the firing squad.

"Listen, listen. Whatever you want, we'll do it." Rory became desperate.

"Aim." Restac called out and the soldiers raised their guns.

"Amy!" Rory yelled.

"Rory!" Amy screamed.

"Don't do this!" The Doctor shouted as he struggled against his chains.

"No!" Rory called out as the screen went blank for him Ambrose and Mack leaving them in panicked fear. Amy closed her eyes turning her face away waiting for the end.

"Fire!" Restac ordered.

"Stop!" Eldaine called out as he came into the room, his voice echoing off of the walls. The soldiers obeyed lowering their weapons as they all turned to face their leader. "You want to start a war while the rest of us sleep, Restac?"

"The apes are attacking us." Restac snapped in anger.

"You're our protector, not our commander, Restac. Unchain them." Eldaine ordered.

"I do not recognize your authority at this time, Eldane." Restac hissed darkly.

"Well then, you must shoot me." Eldaine said simply. Restac grit her teeth as she moved around the table, Malohkeh meeting her halfway.

"You woke him to undermine me." Restac hissed at Malohkeh.

"We're not monsters. And neither are they." Malohkeh replied.

"What is it about apes you love so much, hmm?" Restac questioned.

"While you slept, they've evolved. I've seen it for myself." Malohkeh told her.

"We used to hunt apes for sport." Restac spat in disgust at his empathy for the human race. "When we came underground, they bred and polluted this planet."

"Shush now, Restac. Go and play soldiers." Eldaine ordered with a nod of his head. "I'll let you know if I need you."

"You'll need me, then we'll see." Restac eyed him before turning on her heel and leaving the room.

The instant the Doctor was free he went over to the controls bringing them back up, the screen flicking to life showing the anxious faces of Rory, Ambrose, and Tony.

"Rory. Hello." The Doctor grinned.

"Where's Amy?" Was Rory's first question.

"She's fine. Look, here, she is." The Doctor said pointed to Amy and the screen extended to show her much to Rory's relief. Ambrose and Tony were both relieved to note that Nasreen and Mo were safe as well, all of them freed from their chains.

"Oh, thank God." Rory breathed out.

"Keeping you on your toes." Amy smiled.

"No time to chat. Listen, you need to get down here." The Doctor informed them quickly. "Go to the drill storeroom. There's a large patch of earth in the middle of the floor. The Silurians are going to send up transport discs to bring you back down using geothermal energy and gravity bubble technology. It's how they travel and frankly, it's pretty cool." The Doctor grinned. "Bring Alaya. We hand her over, we can land this after all. All going to work, promise. Got to dash. Hurry up." He ended the transmission, not seeing the stricken faces of those still on the surface. The Doctor then turned on his heel to face the humans and Silurians who had taken seats along the table, Amy and Nasreen on one side and Eldaine on the other. Malohkeh and Mo stood off to the side. "I'd say you've got a fair bit to talk about."

"How so?" Eldaine asked as the Doctor braced himself against the table, anxious to get things going so he could go find Stella.

"You both want the planet. You both have a genuine claim to it." The Doctor replied.

"Are you authorized to negotiate on behalf of humanity?" Eldaine asked as he eyed the gangly man.

"Me? No. But they are." The Doctor gestured to Nasreen and Amy.

"What?" Nasreen's eyes went wide.

"No, we're not." Amy shook her head.

"Course you are. Amy Pond and Nasreen Chaudhry, speaking for the planet? Humanity couldn't have better ambassadors. Come on, who has more fun than us?" The Doctor smiled as he moved over behind them patting them on their shoulders.

"Is this what happens, in the future? The planet gets shared? Is that what we need to do?" Amy asked as she got up moving over to the Doctor.

"Er, what are you talking about?" Nasreen questioned in confusion, sliding closer to them.

"Oh Nasreen, sorry. Probably worth mentioning at this stage, Amy, Stella, and I travel in time a bit." The Doctor explained.

"Anything else?" Nasreen asked.

"There are fixed points through time where things must always stay the way they are. This is not one of them. This is an opportunity." The Doctor explained as he started to move about and gesture with his hands as he talked. "A temporal tipping point. Whatever happens today, will change future events, create its own timeline, its own reality." The Doctor said in excitement. "The future pivots around you, here, now. So do good, for humanity, and for Earth."

"Right. No pressure there, then." Amy breathed out as she retook her seat.

"We can't share the planet. Nobody on the surface is going to go for this idea. It is just too big a leap." Nasreen argued in a sotto voice.

"Come on." The Doctor smiled down at her. "Be extraordinary."

"Oh." Nasreen grinned as she caved in giving him a look and took her seat.

"Okay." The Doctor slapped his hand on the table three times in place of a gavel. "Bringing things to order. The first meeting of representatives of the human race and Homo Reptilia is now in session." The Doctor rubbed his hands together. "Ha! Never said that before. That's fab." The Doctor grinned with a laugh. "Carry on. Now, Mo." The Doctor pointed at him as he started walking toward the door. "Let's go and get your son and my fiancé." The Doctor turned on his heel looking back at the others. "Oh, you know, humans, and their predecessors shooting the breeze. Never thought I'd see it."

The Doctor left the room with Malohkeh and Mo while the others starred awkwardly at each other for a moment before the meeting got underway.

-0-

Malohkeh swiftly led them down the tunnels to where he had left Elliot and Stella, the Doctor and Mo right on his heels. Soon they were amongst the medical pods where their loved ones were stored.

"Elliot. There you are." The Doctor said as they stopped in front of the pod holding the young boy, his eyes glancing around for Stella.

"If you've harmed him in any way…" Mo threatened as Malohkeh worked the controls bringing Elliot out of stasis

"Of course not. I only store the young." Malohkeh replied, a bit offended.

"But why?" The Doctor asked eyeing the reptilian man.

"I took samples of the young, slowed their lifecycles to a millionth of their normal rate so I could study how they grew, what they needed, how they lived on the surface." Malohkeh explained as he looked up, his eyes alight with interest.

"You've been down here working by yourself, all alone?" The Doctor asked, his face still neutral.

"My family, through the millennia, and for the last three hundred years, just me. I never meant to harm your child." Malohkeh said to Mo who made to motion to forgive or condemn him.

"Malohkeh, I think I'd rather love you if it wasn't for the fact you experimented and cut open my fiancé." The Doctor said as his face wen dark, his eyes becoming sharp. "Who knows what damage you've caused, what nightmare you've thrown her back into." The Doctor said as his fists clenched and unclenched, barely able to keep them from Malohkeh's neck. "Now where is she?"

"Right across from the boy." Malohkeh said quickly, the dark look in the Doctor's eyes unsettling him deeply. The Doctor spun around quickly to Stella's pod, Malohkeh opening it for him.

"It's safe. We can wake them." Malohkeh turned back to the boy leaving Stella to the Doctor not wanting to be too close to the angry Time Lord. They unhooked Stella and Elliot from the wires that had been studying them allowing them to slowly start to come to. Mo and the Doctor quickly rushed to their loved ones. "Come."

"Elliot? Ell, it's Dad." Mo said waking the young boy.

"Dad." Elliot said groggily the two quickly hugged each other in relief.

"You're safe now." Mo said tightening his arms around his son before they pulled apart.

"Where are we?" Elliot asked looking around.

"Well, I've got to be honest with you, son. We're in the center of the Earth, and there are lizard men." Mo said and Elliot looked over to Malohkeh.

"Hi." The lizard man said with a smile and a small wave.

"Wow." Elliot breathed out then looked worried. "Where's Stella?"

"Over here, she is fine as well." Malokeh said turning to the Doctor and Stella, the Doctor gently trying to wake her up.

"Stella, love, come on." The Doctor cupped her face, his thumbs rubbing circles on her cheeks.

Stella blinked as her systems rebooted then let out a horrifying scream. She kept screaming as she stumbled back against the wall of the pod, the Doctor quickly rushing to her side placing comforting hands on her shoulders. She slid down the wall to the ground her screams turning into hyperventilating breaths coupled with deep sobs, the Doctor calling out to her trying to break through her nightmare. Slowly as talked her down her gaze became more focused on the Doctor, tears of relief immediately coming to her eyes when she realized he was with her.

"Theta?" Stella sobbed out, her hands shooting up to his.

"There's my Starlight." The Doctor smiled as he helped her slowly to her feet, her legs shaking, barely able to support her. As soon as she was up Stella launched herself into his arm as she sobbed holding onto him as tight as she could.

"Theta, you're here." Stella sobbed into his shoulder. "You're really here."

"It's ok, I've got you. You're safe now." The Doctor held her close kissing the top of her head. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry; I never should have taken my eye off you and let you go out there on your own."

"I thought I'd never see you again, I thought…I thought I was back there, that I was…the screaming and the blood….." Stella tightened her hold on him as her breathing quickened. "Elliot! Where's Elliot?"

"Right here love." The Doctor gestured the young boy over. Elliot ran up to her wrapping his arms around her, Stella instantly hugging him back as the Doctor kept his arm around her.

"Are you ok?" Stella checked him over shakily, Elliot nodding smiling comfortingly up at her. "I'm s-s-sorry I couldn't s-s-s-save you."

"It's ok, I'm fine, plus it's really cool down here, there's even lizard people." Elliot beamed looking over to Malohkeh not knowing what a bad idea it was to draw attention to the reptilian scientist. Elliot looked back up at Stella to see that she had gone tense, her eyes wild with anger and fear. "Stella?"

Before the Doctor could react Stella pushed him and Elliot behind herself and punched Malohkeh straight across his jaw sending him into a wall.

"Stella, stop." The Doctor tried to grab her, but she was already on Malohkeh and her strength was too much for him to be able to pull her back. She grabbed him by the collar of his clothes slamming him up against the wall, his feet dangling above the ground as he gripped her arms to stop his collar from choking him.

"You! What gives you the right? The right to cut me open? I should rip you apart! I should cut you up, see how you like it! Let's see what makes a lizard tick." Stella screamed as she shook with tortured fury. Mo grabbed hold of Elliot pulling him back as they watched in shock and pity, the little boys eyes wide at what was happening.

Stella slammed Malohkeh hard into the wall three times as she yelled at him before the Doctor managed to pull her back, making her release the lizard man knowing that in the state of mind she was in she very well may have killed him. Malohkeh coughed leaning against the wall for support while rubbing the back of his head where it had hit the wall.

"I'm a scientist, I had never seen anything like you, I was just…" Malohkeh tried, regret and guilt churning in his stomach violently.

"You're a butcher, a monster! You are disgusting filth!" Stella started breath hard, her body shaking violently while tears streamed down from her eyes and her breath came in labored pants. The Doctor pulled her back into his arms and she buried her face against his chest, gripping the lapels of his jacket.

"I think it best we split up." The Doctor said with a grim look as he rubbed Stella's back trying to comfort her.

"I think you're right Doctor." Malohkeh nodded looking to Stella then back to the Doctor, his eyes remorseful. "And I know it means nothing to you, and I have no excuse, but I am sorry." Malohkeh looked over to Mo. "To both of you."

The Doctor nodded tightly acknowledging his apology, but neither rejecting nor accepting it, Mo looking away completely, before they went their separate ways.

' _Storage facility nineteen operational.'_

-0-

Back in the main hall Nasreen, Amy, and Eldane discussed the future of both species and the fate of their beloved planet Earth which rested in their hands. But as the discussions went on, both sides began to despair about whether they would ever find any common ground. As ambassadors for their respective species they all had too much to lose.

"We lived on the surface of the planet long before you did. Our sole purpose has been to return to our rightful place." Eldane tried to explain.

"And we've got a planet that can't already sustain the people who live there." Nasreen pointed out as Amy let her forehead rest against her folded arms on the table. This had been going back and forth for a while making her feel drained. "And you want to add a whole other species to drain resources."

"So, what about the areas that aren't habitable to us?" Amy asked looking up and Eldane brought up a projection of the earth in 3D. Amy stood up and pointed out the areas on the Earth that humans did not live in. "Australian outback, Sahara desert, Nevada plains. They're all deserted."

"Yes, fine, but what happens when their population grows and breeds and spreads?" Nasreen questioned pulling Amy back down into her seat. "And anyway, what benefit does humanity get, and how will we ever sell this to people on the surface?"

"If I could get a word in, maybe I could tell you." Eldane gained their attention. "You give us space, we can bring new sources of energy, new methods of water supply, new medicines, scientific advances." He listed off, both of the girls eyes lighting up as he went on. "We were a great civilization. You provide a place for us on the surface, we'll give you knowledge and technology beyond humanity's dreams. If we work together, this planet could achieve greatness."

"Okay. Now I'm starting to see it." Nasreen said with a nod.

"Oh yeah." Amy grinned then it turned into a full blown smile when the Doctor's clapping brought her attention to the doorway. Mo and Elliot entered with the Doctor who had Stella wrapped in his arms.

Stella had the Doctor's jacket wrapped around her as well giving her comfort, but not much judging by the way she was casting her eyes around fearfully at any lizard people nearby. Tears silently ran down her face, unable to stop them from coming as strong shutters that wracked her body. Stella was terrified, something Amy had never seen to this degree.

"Not bad for a first session." The Doctor smiled though Amy could see how his worried glances kept flitting to Stella. "More similarities than differences."

"The transport has returned. Your friends are here." Eldane informed them when a strange sound filled the room. Not soon after Rory appeared in the doorway, followed by Ambrose, then Mack carrying something wrapped in a blanket.

"Here they are." The Doctor smiled.

"Mum!" Elliot called out as he ran over to Ambrose, right into a tight hug.

"Rory!" Amy looked to her husband.

"Something's wrong." The Doctor eyed their faces and what Mack was carrying.

"Doctor, what's he carrying?" Amy asked stiffly.

"No. Don't do this. Tell me you didn't do this." The Doctor begged with a mixture of anger and despair as Mack laid Alaya on the floor. The Doctor gently released Stella making to move toward the others, but she reached out gripping his hand.

"Don't…" She looked up at him fearfully and he leaned down pressing a reassuring kiss onto her hairline.

"It's ok, I promise." The Doctor said gently. Stella nodded and reluctantly released her hold on his hand. He gave her one last reassuring smile before he went over to Rory and the others, his face becoming grim. Stella watched him go, her eyes only leaving his form to glance fearfully at the surrounding lizards. She was tense, hunched over, and her arms wrapped tightly around herself looking like a cornered animal, pulling the Doctor's jacket tighter around herself like a barrier against everything around her. The Doctor kneeled down pulling the blanket back revealing the dead Alaya. "What did you do?"

The Doctor looked to Tony who's eyes fell to the ground unable to meet the time lords as he got to his feet. Stella starred down at the body of Alaya, her whole being numb. She wanted to feel regret or even sadness for the loss of life, but she couldn't, she couldn't feel anything for one of them and she didn't like that. It was what she felt when she took her revenge on the Lacerta, when she…

"It was me. I did it." Ambrose spoke up gaining their attention and breaking Stella out of her dark memories.

"Mum?" Elliot pulled away from her, looking at her in confused shock.

"I just wanted you back." Ambrose tried, but Elliot pushed her hands away from himself and walked away from her standing close to Mo. Everyone's eyes were on her, accusing and judging causing her to shrink back a bit.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know. You have to believe me, they're better than this." The Doctor said making his way quickly over to Eldane, but his face was strained and grim.

"This is our planet!" Ambrose snapped.

"We had a chance here." The Doctor bit out as he turned back to her charging over.

"Leave us alone." Ambrose ordered.

"In future, when you talk about this, you tell people there was a chance but you were so much less than the best of humanity." The Doctor ground out towering over Ambrose who had tears in her eyes. To make matter worse Restac and her troops marched in through the doors, all armed and ready for a fight.

"My sister." Restac demanded before her eyes fell on Alaya wrapped up in the blanket, her face filling with horror. She slowly walked over to Alaya kneeling down next to her not wanting it to be true, but the moment she moved the blanket back her heart shattered at the same time it hardened. "Oh." Restac mourned before glaring up at the Doctor. "And you want us to trust these apes, Doctor?"

"One woman." The Doctor tried. "She was scared for her family. She is not typical."

"I think she is." Restac hissed.

"One person let us down, but there is a whole race of dazzling, peaceful human beings up there." The Doctor argued as he paced around in short steps. "You were building something here. Come on. An alliance could work."

"It's too late for that, Doctor." Ambrose spoke up again.

"Why?" The Doctor asked, his eyes snapping to her.

"Our drill is set to start burrowing again in fifteen minutes." Ambrose raised her chin defiantly while Tony look ashamed of both himself and his daughter.

"What?" Nasreen looked to Mack.

"What choice did I have? They had Elliot." Mack said in guilt.

"Don't do this. Don't call their bluff." The Doctor pleaded.

"Let us go back. And you promise to never come to the surface ever again. We'll walk away, leave you alone." Ambrose ordered ignoring the Doctor while she had a stare down with Restac who started to hiss.

"Execute her." Restac called out to her troops who opened fire immediately.

"No!" The Doctor grabbed Ambrose running away from the weapon fire. "Everybody, back to the lab. Run."

"Execute all the apes." Restac yelled as they fired all weapons trained on the humans. Stella, pushing aside her fear for herself in light of her fear for the Doctor sprinted in front of him, the tips of her fingers glowing bright blue as her eyes narrowed, but the shaking of her hands told the Doctor how afraid she really was. The sonic waves she was emitting caused the Silurian weapons to violently blow up allowing the others to get away.

"Stay back, all of you, stay back or I will…I'll…" Stella tried to be brave, but was unable to finish her threat as her fear spiked once again with the Silurian's advancing on them. She backed up as they came closer. The Doctor took hold of her hand pulling her away from a lashing tongue which Stella grabbed the end of pulling it hard causing the warrior to fall from the raisers forcing her to hit the ground hard and allowing them a chance to make a run for it to catch up with the others.

"Take everyone to the lab. I'll cover you." The Doctor ordered as they came upon the others waiting in the tunnel as he took out his sonic. "Stella, go with them."

"But…I don't want to leave you…" Stella started shakily as she clung to his hand.

"Stella, please go." The Doctor said softly as he tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear cupping the side of her face lovingly. "I can tell you're scared and I need you safe."

"Ok." Stella nodded reluctantly, the fact she gave in further proving how scarred she was.

"I'll stay with her." Rory said placing a comforting hand on Stella's shoulder as the Doctor nodded in thanks. Rory gently took hold of Stella who gripped his hand back glad for the comfort of one of her dear friend. "Go. Go."

The Silurian's ran down the tunnel coming upon the Doctor just as the others got away. The Doctor turned to face them, the lizards stopping short pointing their guns at himm.

"Ah, ah, stop right there or I'll use my very deadly weapon." The Doctor held up his sonic setting it to the same frequency that Stella had used causing more weapons burst and the Silurian's to stop. "One warning, that's all you get. If there can be no deal, you go back into hibernation. All of you, now. This ends here."

"No." Restac round out. "It only ends with our victory."

"Like I said, one warning." The Doctor said darkly before taking out the rest of their weapons then made his getaway racing through the tunnels as the Silurian's gave chase. The Doctor ran into the lab where the others were waiting and sealed the door behind him with the sonic.

"Elliot, you and your dad keep your eyes on that screen. Let me know if we get company. Amy, keep reminding me how much time I haven't got." The Doctor ordered sending the son and father over to a monitor while tossing a watch to Amy.

"Okay" Amy fumbled with the watch till she could see the small screen while father and son turned on the monitor to an empty tunnel just outside the lab. "Um, er, twelve minutes till drill impact."

The Doctor went over to Stella who was checking over Tony Mack, her shaking fingers glowing blue as she worked. The moment they had come into the lab she had taken note of his sweaty pale parlor. She had pulled her arms through the Doctor's jacket so that she was now wearing it fully and made him sit down so she could check him over while Nasreen hovered around them.

"How are you holding up?" The Doctor pressed a kiss to Stella's forehead.

"Fine." Stella said stiffly, he could tell she was trying to remain calm, but wasn't having much luck. "Tony Mack is sick though."

"Tony Mack. Sweaty forehead, dilated pupils. What are you hiding?" The Doctor asked and Stella pulled aside his shirt to reveal thick green veins that spread across his chest.

"Tony, what happened?" Nasreen gasped.

"Alaya's sting." Mack gasped out. "She said there's no cure. I'm dying, aren't I?"

"You're not dying, you're mutating." Stella corrected him as she held out her hand projecting a holographic image of his body and the changes occurring within. "It's progressing at a steady pace, using your blood stream to spread."

"How can I stop it?" Mack asked as he eyed the shaking hologram, Stella unable to keep her hand still.

"The decontamination program." Stella said right away turning off the hologram.

"Eldane, can you run the program on Tony?" The Doctor nodded agreeing with Stella who backed away as Eldane came closer in order to help Tony over to the decontamination chamber. The Doctor reached out taking her hand in his giving her some sort of comfort.

"Doctor, shedload of those creatures coming our way." Mo said looking up from the screen he and Elliot were at that was now depicting Silurian warriors. "We're surrounded in here."

"So, question is, how do we stop the drill given we can't get there in time? Plus, also, how do we get out, given that we're surrounded?" The Doctor questioned walking over to Nasreen leaving Stella next to the console. "Nasreen, how do you feel about an energy pulse channeled up through the tunnels to the base of the drill?"

"To blow up my life's work?" Nasreen asked with her eyebrows raised.

"Yes. Sorry. No nice way of putting that." The Doctor said with a wince.

"Right, well, you're going to have to do it before the drill hits the city, in er…" Nasreen looked to Amy.

"Eleven minutes forty seconds." Amy informed them.

"Yes. Squeaky bum time." The Doctor rubbed his hands together as he ran over to the console grinning to the others.

"Yes, but the explosion is going to cave in all the surrounding tunnels, so we have to be out and on the surface by then." Nasreen pointed out.

"But we can't get past Restac's troops." Rory told them.

"I can help with that." Eldane spoke up, finished setting up Tony. "Toxic Fumigation. An emergency failsafe meant to protect my species from infection." Eldane explained. "A warning signal to occupy cryo-chambers. After that, citywide fumigation by toxic gas. Then the city shuts down."

"You could end up killing your own people." Amy said wide eyed.

"Only those foolish enough to follow Restac." Eldane replied as the Doctor paced away from the console before looking back to Eldane.

"Eldane, are you sure about this?" The Doctor asked in concern.

"My priority is my race's survival. The Earth isn't ready for us to return yet." Eldane told him.

"No." The Doctor agreed.

"Ten minutes, Doctor." Amy called out.

"But maybe it should be." The Doctor turned around to the others as he spoke. "So, here's a deal. Everybody listening. Eldane, you activate shutdown." The Doctor clapped Eldane on his shoulder allowing him behind the console as he moved away. "I'll amend the system, set your alarm for a thousand years' time. A thousand years to sort the planet out. To be ready. Pass it on. As legend, or prophesy, or religion, but somehow make it known." The Doctor looked to Elliot. "This planet is to be shared."

"Yeah. I get you." Elliot nodded and the Doctor snapped pointing his finger at him with a grin.

"Nine minutes, seven seconds." Amy told them and the Doctor went back to the console.

"Yes. Fluid controls, my favorite." The Doctor smiled down at the controls as he started to work them. "Energy pulse. Timed, primed and set. Before we go, energy barricade." The Doctor used his sonic to cancel out the shield. "Need to cancel it out quickly."

"Fumigation pre-launching." Eldane informed them.

"There's not much time for us to get from here to the surface, Doctor." Rory commented nervously.

"Ah ha, super-squeaky bum time. Get ready to run for your lives. Now." The Doctor said as he worked, but paused when Stella placed a hand on his shoulder.

"But the decontamination program on Tony hasn't started yet." Stella said in concern, all of them looking to Mack in one of the chambers looking worse for the wear, his family the most torn.

"Well, go. All of you, go." Mack urged them as he stumbled to the opening of the chamber.

"No, we're not leaving you here." Ambrose said.

"Granddad." Elliot ran over to him meeting in a hug.

"Eight minutes ten seconds." Amy reminded them.

"Now you look after your mum. You mustn't blame her. She only did what she thought was right." Mack said to Elliot as he leaned down to eye level.

"I'm not going to see you again, am I?" Elliot asked with sad eyes.

"I'll be here, always." Mack put a hand to Elliot's heart. "I love you, boy." Mack told him lovingly. "You be sure he gets home safe."

"This is my fault." Ambrose sobbed.

"No, I can't go back up there. I'd be a freak show." Mack shook his head. "The technology down here's my only hope."

"I love you, Dad." Ambrose said as they hugged each other tightly.

"Go. Go." Mack urged them on as he let go of her. "Go on."

"Come on." Mo pulled Ambrose into his arms then Eldane activated the fumigation, the sirens going off as the light went dark with green replacing them.

' _Toxic fumigation initiated.'_

' _Toxic fumigation initiated.'_

"They're going. We're clear." Amy told them as she watched the monitor, the warrior running back to their tubes.

"Okay, everyone follow Nasreen. Look for a blue box." The Doctor bounded over to the door and soniced it open, the others gathering around it. "Get ready to run."

' _Return to cryo-chambers.'_

"I'm sorry." The Doctor said going over to Eldane.

"I thought for a moment, our race and the humans…" Eldane sighed in regret.

"Yeah, me too." The Doctor nodded.

"Doctor, We've got less than six minutes." Amy told him.

"Go. Go! I'm right behind you." The Doctor said and Amy ran out after the others. The Doctor looked to Eldane gripping hands with him before Eldane moved past him. He took Stella's hand in his and started to move toward the ecit looking over to Nasreen. "Let's go."

"I'm not coming either." Nasreen said stopping the time travelers short.

"What?" The Doctor questioned.

"We're going to hibernate with them, me and Tony." Nasreen said smiling lovingly to Mack.

"Doctor, you and your mate must go." Eldane urged them.

"I can be decontaminated when we're woken." Mack smiled down at Nasreen with just as much love. "All the time in the world."

"But, Nasreen, you…" The Doctor started.

"No, this is perfect. I don't want to go." Nasreen cut him off. "I've got what I was digging for. I can't leave when I've only just found it."

"Doctor! Stella!" Amy snapped as she came back for them.

"Thank you, Doctor, Stella." Nasreen beamed at them both before they all three hugged each other tightly.

"The pleasure was all ours." The Doctor said as Stella managed a small smile and nod when they separated.

"Come and look for us." Nasreen said before the Doctor, Stella, and Amy took off down the tunnels. The warriors went back to their rest, on the promise of future harmony with humans while the humans and time lords made a run for the Tardis in order to make their escape.

' _Immediate evacuation.'_

"Other way, idiot." Amy called out as Rory came barreling up to them in search of them and almost passing them. He turned around quickly following after Amy and the others soon catching up with the small family.

' _Toxic fumigation is about to commence. Immediate evacuation.'_

"Come on." The Doctor called out.

' _Toxic fumigation is about to commence.'_

"No questions, just get in." The Doctor said opening the Tardis for them all. "And yes, I know, it's big. Ambrose, sickbay up the stairs, left, then left again, get yourself fixed up." The Doctor listed off the directions as the family filed in. "Come on. Five minutes and counting." Then he saw it, his eyes growing wide at the sight of the crack, the others gaping at it as well. "Not here, not now."

"Doctor, the split." Stella eyed the crack.

"I know, it's getting wider." The Doctor said, knowing what she was seeing. "Anything?"

"Nothing, I can't get a reading from it other than that it is time." Stella shook her head, glancing over at the Tardis wanting nothing more than to run inside, but not wanting to leave the Doctor's side at the same time.

"The crack on my bedroom wall." Amy said fearfully.

' _Two parts of space and time that should never have touched, right here.'_

"And the Byzantium. All through the universe, rips in the continuum." The Doctor said as he walked over crouching down in front of it with Stella timidly following him.

' _How can it be following me?'_

"Some sort of space-time cataclysm. An explosion, maybe. Big enough to put cracks in the universe. But what?" The Doctor questioned.

"Four minutes fifty." Amy glanced at the watch. "We have to go."

"The Angels laughed when I didn't know. Prisoner Zero knew. Everybody knows except me." The Doctor said in annoyance.

"Doctor, just leave it." Amy pleaded.

"But where there's an explosion, there's shrapnel." The Doctor reasoned.

"Doctor, you can't put your hand in there." Rory said as the Doctor put a red handkerchief over his hand then began to reach for the crack.

"Why not?" The Doctor asked as he reached into the crack then let out a scream of pure pain, the glow growing brighter. Stella rushed forward gripping his free hand in hers so he wasn't sucked in. The pull of the energy from the crack was so immense that Stella was having trouble holding on. "Argh. I've got something."

"What is it?" Amy asked as he started to pull his arm back out, Stella letting out a yell as she had to pull with all her might to get him out sending them both to the ground once he was free.

"I don't know." The Doctor gasped out eyeing the object wrapped in his handkerchief.

"Doctor?" Rory said as Restac crawled in with a crazed vengeful look in her eyes.

"She was there when the gas started. She must have been poisoned." Amy said as the time travelers snapped back up to their feet.

"You." Restac spat.

"Okay, get in the Tardis, all of you." The Doctor ordered going for his sonic, but wasn't fast enough.

"You did this." Restac raised her weapon, but instead of pointing at the Doctor she pointed it at Stella with a vicious smile. Stella's eyes went wide, her whole body seizing up in fear.

"Stella!" Rory pushed Stella out of the way and taking the full force of the blast.

"Rory!" Amy screamed.

"No, no, no, no…." Stella shook her head as she backed away, her hand pressed against either side of her head, her back against the Tardis.

"Rory, can you hear me?" The Doctor and Amy kneeled down on either side of Rory.

"I don't understand." Rory gasped out, his face covered in seat and pain.

"Shush. Don't talk." Amy looked from Rory to the Doctor. "Doctor, is he okay? We have to get him onto the Tardis."

"We were on the hill. I can't die here." Rory said.

"Don't say that." Amy begged.

"You're so beautiful." Rory smiled up at her as he slipped away with one last breath. "I'm sorry."

"Doctor, help him." Amy said pleadingly as the light from the crack reached Rory's feet.

' _If the time energy catches up with you, you'll never have been born. It will erase every moment of your existence. You will never have lived at all.'_

"Amy, move away from the light. If it touches you, you'll be wiped from history." The Doctor ordered as he stood to his feet moving around Rory, but Amy clung to Rory. "Amy, move away now."

"No. I am not leaving him. We have to help him." Amy yelled and the Doctor was forced to grab her pulling her away from him.

"The light's already around him. We can't help him. Stella get into the TARDIS, hurry." The Doctor called out struggling with Amy, but Stella was frozen in shock, not moving. "STELLA!" The Doctor yelled snapping Stella out of it. "Into the Tardis now!"

"I am not leaving him." Amy tried to get away from the Doctor as Stella fumblingly opened the Tardis.

"We have to." The Doctor told her.

"No!" Amy yelled as she kicked.

"I'm sorry." The Doctor told her.

"Get off me!" Amy ordered as the Doctor dragged Amy the rest of the way into the Tardis.

"I'm sorry." The Doctor said again holding her back away from the door.

"Get off me. No." Amy sobbed as Stella sonicked the Tardis door shut then moved up to the console with the Doctor, unable to even look at Amy as she beat against the door.

"No! No! No! No! Let me out. Please let me out." Amy banged on the doors of the Tardis, crying out. "I need to get to Rory. That light." Amy rushed up to the Doctor and Stella. "If his body's absorbed, I'll forget him. He'll never have existed. You can't let that happen." Amy took notice of what they were doing as they moved around the controls. "What are you doing?" The Tardis started up. "Doctor, no! No! No! No!" Amy tried to stop them as Rory was absorbed by the light from the crack and the Tardis dematerialized. "Doctor, we can't just leave him there." The Doctor pulled her away from the console to keep her from messing with the controls. She looked desperately over to Stella who was gripping the edge of the console, her eyes staring straight ahead, a pained vacant look to them. "Stella please, stop him."

"I'm sorry." Stella whispered.

"Keep him in your mind. Don't forget him. If you forget him, you'll lose him forever." The Doctor ordered holding onto Amy who was sobbing violently.

"When we were on the Byzantium, I still remembered the Clerics because I am a time traveler now, you said." Amy said trying to hold onto hope.

"They weren't part of your world. This is different." The Doctor explained cupping her face. "This is your own history changing."

"Don't tell me it's going to be okay. You have to make it okay." Amy cried gripping his lapels tightly.

"It's going to be hard, but you can do it, Amy." The Doctor kissed her forehead before leading her over to one of the chairs. "Tell me about Rory, eh?" The Doctor urged her as he set her down. "Fantastic Rory. Funny Rory. Gorgeous Rory. Amy, listen to me. Do exactly as I say. Amy, please. Keep concentrating. You can do this."

"I can't." Amy shook her head stating to look sickly pale.

"You can. You can do it. I can't help you unless you do. Come on. We can still save his memory. Come on, Amy. Please. Come on, Amy, come on. Amy, please. Don't let anything distract you." The Doctor pressed hard as Stella hesitantly walked closer, her arms wrapped around herself and her eyes filled with guilt. "Remember Rory. Keep remembering. Rory's only alive in your memory. You must keep hold of him. Don't let anything distract you. Rory still lives in your mind."

The Tardis came to a sudden jolting halt throwing them all to the floor, the ring box between the Doctor and Stella, both of them starring down at it.

"What were you saying?" Amy asked as they all set up, the Doctor eyeing her as Stella slowly reached out toward the box, but pulled back unable to bring herself to touch it.

"I have seen some things today, but this is beyond mad." Mo commented as he and his family came back into the console room, the Doctor and Stella slowly getting to their feet while Amy snapped to hers.

"Stella, Doctor. Five seconds till it all goes up." Amy said before they all dashed outside with the exception of Stella.

The Doctor stopped short seeing her with her arms wrapped around herself standing close to the console, her body hunched over as she slowly brought her eyes up from the ring box. She waved the Doctor on with a nod of her head and he reluctantly went outside with the others just in time to see the drilling derrick explode.

The Doctor glanced back into the Tardis to see Stella disappearing down one of the halls. She walked away back to her toward her room, she was done with this adventure and knew she couldn't hold back her tormented emotions much longer, she was dangerous to be around in this condition, unpredictable and dangerous.

-0-

"All Nasreen's work just erased." Amy said as she, Mo , and Elliot walked through the graveyard.

"Good thing she's not here to see it. She's going to give Tony hell when they wake up." Mo commented then glanced around. "Where's Stella?"

"The Doctor said she's gone for a bit of a lay down." Amy replied as they walked past the Doctor and Ambrose.

"You could've let those things shoot me." Ambrose commented as she and the Doctor stood in a small alcove. "You saved me."

"An eye for an eye. It's never the way. Now you show your son how wrong you were, how there's another way." The Doctor told Ambrose, clearly still disappointed in her. "You make him the best of humanity, in the way you couldn't be."

He moved away, but stopped looking back at her with a small smile showing that he still had hope for her. She smiled back ducking her head a bit before he walked away. Later, after saying farewell to the family, Amy and the Doctor returned to the Tardis.

"You're very quiet." Amy said before her attention was taken by a waving figure not too far off. "Oh. Hey, look. There I am again." Amy waved over to herself standing by herself on the far hill. "Hello, me."

"Are you okay?" The Doctor asked when he saw her smile drop a bit.

"I thought I saw someone else there for a second." Amy said and the Doctor frowned. "I need a holiday. Didn't we talk about Rio?"

"You go in. Just fix this lock. Keeps jamming." The Doctor gestured to the door of the Tardis.

"You boys and your locksmithery." Amy smiled as she made her way inside. "I'll go find Stella and then we can all get a bite in Rio."

"Sounds good." The Doctor nodded. Then as soon as the door was closed the Doctor held up the shrapnel he had pulled from the crack holding it up to the sign plate at the front of the Tardis revealing a perfect match, it was a charred piece of the Tardis. His eyes widened then glanced fearfully around himself.

-0-

Stella stood in front of the full length mirror of her room her shirt unbuttoned, but still wearing the Doctor's jacket as she reached up to the scar that now ran vertically down the middle of her chest with trembling fingers. Her breathing quickened and a fever broke out over her skin as her legs buckled under her sending her to the floor.

The experiments at the hands of lizards, what were the chances of that happening to her again, was it some sort of sick joke on the universes part, to keep torturing her like this, seeing how much she could take before she broke completely apart?

Then there was the greatest pain of all, the loss of a dear friend who gave his life to save hers. Rory was so much, her first personal companion, a great listener, a giant caring heart, and Amy's love. Now Amy couldn't even remember him and there was no way to fix it.

Stella felt anger blast through her white hot as she screamed pulling back her fists and smashing them both into her mirror sending shards everywhere as her fist went straight through it. She repeatedly hit it then slammed her fists on the floor as she yelled.

She snapped up to her feet, fear pumping through her veins as her eyes darted around. The room felt like it was closing in, the air was too hot, something was wrong, something was coming. She backed into a wall, her hands clenched into tight fists, her nails drawing blood. Raising her hands to the level of her eyes she looked in horror at the blue blood dripping from the glass and her nail wounds.

Her eyes snapped to her closet and she darted forward throwing anything that was in there out and flung herself into the back corner wrapping her arms around her legs which she brought up to her chest as she rocked back and forth, crying hysterically. She buried her face in her arms muffling the sound as she saw the scalpel in her mind's eye descending toward her chest and slicing her open.

"Stella?" Amy knocked on the door before opening it a bit. "You in here?" Hearing the muffled sobs Amy made her way toward them and saw Stella's glowing lines in the back of the closet, the Doctor's jacket wrapped tightly around herself. As she got closer, Stella pressed herself further back away, Amy likening her to a frightened cornered animal. "Stella, you ok?"

"Stay away." Stella nearly hissed and Amy slowly backed off, her hands raised, startled by the intensity in Stella's glowing eyes, an almost feral look. "GET OUT!"

"Ok, I'm backing up, I'm going." Amy said, her eyes concerned, but Stella's gaze didn't waver nor lose its intensity. "I'm leaving, give you some space." Amy quickly left the room and raced to find the Doctor who was in the console room looking troubled already. "Doctor, it's Stella."

"What's wrong?!" The Doctor was in front of her in an instant and Amy told him what had happened sending him running down the halls, telling her not to follow.

When he came into the room he took in the shattered mirror and the contents of the closet flung across the room. He slowly walked over to the closet making sure not to step on anything then kneeled down in front of the open door peering in easily spotting Stella's glowing marks and fear filled eyes with strong flashes of anger.

"Love?" The Doctor called out gently, his hearts lurching painfully when she flinched back further into the closet. "Starlight, please."

"I'm…I….I don't…" Stella stuttered, her shaking almost violent. "Just stay back."

"Stella…" The Doctor breathed out.

"Get away from me, just stay away!" Stella snapped, yelling out in her fear fueled anger.

"Starlight…" The Doctor tried again.

"I'm not safe Theta." Stella said hoarsely, her hands clutching her head on either side, her blood staining her hair. "I'm so angry, so sad, and scared and…I can feel it all inside of me, like a hurricane just waiting to strike. I want to attack and hide all at the same time." Her shaking became violent. "I can hear them, their screaming, they're all screaming and the pain, I can still feel it, it's ripping me apart. And Rory, Rory's gone, it's all my fault, if I had moved faster he wouldn't have…and Amy doesn't even remember him, it's all too much, I can't…." Stella's eyes shot up meeting the Doctors. "What if I lose control? What if I hurt you?"

"You won't." The Doctor assured her, his hearts straining in pain.

"How do you know?!" Stella cried out. "How do you know?! I am on the edge of something, something dark and consuming trying to rip me to shreds, I feel like at any moment it'll take over and I won't be able to stop it. I'll be that machine again, killing over and over again, so much blood. How do you know I won't revert back into that? That monster!"

The Doctor slowly made his way into the closet, Stella tensing the closer he got, but made no movement to stop him. Her eyes were wide and her body shaking with every movement he made toward her.

"I know, because I love you and you love me." The Doctor took her hands in his taking note of the wounds upon them, but one thing at a time. "You are stronger than this fear Starlight, you are so much stronger." Stella broke down into a sobbing mess as she flung herself into the Doctor's arms who instantly pulled her close so that she was cradled under his chin. "It's ok, I've got you."

"I thought…I thought they had captured me again, that I was back in that horrible place." Stella cried as she clung to him. "Theta, I'm scared, I'm so scared."

"Stella, my Starlight, I will never let them have you and you will never go back. I promise I'll protect you." The Doctor assured her pressing a kiss onto the top of her head as he tightened his arms around her, but the tears would not stop. "Oh my Starlight, I'm so sorry, I'm so, so sorry."

The Doctor had managed to calm Stella down to where they were now sitting in the closet neither one of them speaking. The Doctor had taken out a med kit form his pocket and took care of Stella's injuries before pulling her back into his arms. The Doctor held her on his lap running his fingers through her hair as she starred off into space.

"Rory's gone, he's gone and Amy can't even remember him." Stella broke the silence, her tears still falling down her cheeks. "What are we going to do?"

"I don't know." The Doctor replied, his own eyes filled with tears. "I don't know."


	10. Chapter 10

Stella sat in the music room at the grand piano, starring down blankly at the ivory keys. She wore a long sleeved knit grey shirt with lace fringe, a pair of faded skinny jeans, and a pair of house shoes. Her hair fell down loose in waves creating a curtain hiding her face from view.

The Doctor watched her with a worried frown from the doorway. She had been like this ever since the Silurians. She had not played a note since her dark encounter nor had she sung one, the music having completely disserted her.

She had taken up tinkering, hiding herself away in the workroom that the Tardis had made for her, anything to avoid the memories. When she wasn't tinkering though she was in the music room trying to will herself to play, but unable to do so. The Doctor walked over sitting next to her on the bench and she let out a tired sigh knowing why he was there.

"Stella…" The Doctor started.

"I'm fine." Stella didn't let him even finish his sentence. The Doctor placed his hands over hers stopping them from wringing as he held them between his palms, but she still refused to look at him, her eyes remaining glued to the piano.

"You haven't been eating, you barely sleep, you've been alienating yourself from Amy and I, and you haven't been out of the Tardis for a very long time." The Doctor said letting go of her hands allowing him to cup her face and tilting it up giving him a good look at the dark circles under her eyes and the sickly parlor of her skin, even the lines in her skin seemed dull, sluggish even. "That doesn't sound fine to me."

"I'm not hungry." Stella took his hands from her face. "And I don't want to sleep." Stella shivered involuntarily, terrifying images flashing through her mind. "I barely need to do either of those things anyway."

"What about your music?" The Doctor asked gently, Stella going tense. She looked to the piano, a deep passionate longing in her eyes that tore at the Doctor's hearts.

"I just haven't been in the mood lately." Stella lied and the Doctor knew it. The loss of her muse was taking its toll on her just as much as her lack of sleeping and eating.

"How about you come with me and Amy to the museum?" The Doctor asked stroking the back of her hands with his thumbs. "Please."

"Theta…" Stella sighed tiredly.

"Please, it's just a museum, nothing big." The Doctor pleaded giving her that look through the fringe of his hair that always melted her hearts.

"What museum?" Stella gave in making the Doctor grin widely.

"The Museé d'Orsay." The Doctor announced pulling her to her feet and twirling her around feeling quite proud of himself when she gave him a small smile although her eyes remained distant.

"Ok, ok, but I need to go change." Stella said as the Doctor led her out of the music room to Stella's where he waited on her bed as she dug out a pair of knee high dark grey boots slipping them on over her skinny jeans.

She then walked over to her vanity table to pin her hair into a low bun away from her face though a few pieces fell loosely around her face framing it nicely. The Doctor had never seen her wear such dull colors compared to her usually bright outfits; he knew that this was just a reflection of how bad she was truly feeling inside, even worse was the lack of flowers in her hair.

"Ready?" He asked in excitement trying to get her pumped up.

"I guess." Stella replied with less zeal than the Doctor would have preferred.

"Wait, you're missing something." The Doctor ran over to her vanity rifling through it until he found a cluster of small soft pink roses. He walked back over to her and pinned it to the top of her bun. The Doctor lowered his hand, his knuckles brushing softly against her cheek. "It's going to be ok love."

The Doctor gazed softly down at her his hand cupping her cheek as she starred into his eyes for a few moments before wrapping her arms around the Doctor's waist, the Doctor wrapping his arms around her as well pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

"Amy's probably waiting for us." Stella said quietly after they had been holding onto each other for a while.

"Then come along my starlight, best not keep her waiting." The Doctor looped her arm through his determined to make Stella feel better and return her to the happy woman he loved so much.

-0-

"So this is one of the last paintings Van Gogh ever painted. Those final months of his life were probably the most astonishing artistic outpouring in history." Black was enthusing over Wheatfield With Crows to his audience as the Doctor led Stella and Amy into the room gesturing around him with a smile. "It was like Shakespeare knocking off Othello, Macbeth and King Lear over the summer hols. And especially astonishing because Van Gogh did it with no hope of praise or reward. He is now…"

"Thanks for bringing me." Amy smiled to the Doctor and Stella, a pamphlet of Van Gough in one hand her other playing with the end of her scarf.

"You're welcome." The Doctor replied.

"You're being so nice to me. Why are you being so nice to me?" Amy asked with a searching look homed on the Doctor.

"I'm always nice to you." The Doctor defended himself.

"Not like this, all these places you're taking me." Amy said. "Arcadia, the Trojan Gardens, now this." Amy looped her arm with Stella's. "You would have loved the gardens Stella." Amy commented with a hopeful smile. "Maybe we can go again if you want."

"It's ok, I'm fine." Stella shrugged making Amy frown in worry for her now despondent friend. "And it's not that strange when the Doctor is nice."

"I think it's suspicious." Amy looked back to the Doctor.

"What? It's not. There's nothing to be suspicious about." The Doctor said quickly.

"Okay, I was joking. Why aren't you?" Amy tilted her head eyeing the Doctor.

"Each of these pictures now is worth tens of millions of pounds, yet in his lifetime he was a commercial disaster." Black's voice became prominent again. "Sold only one painting, and that to the sister of a friend. We have here possibly the greatest artist of all time, but when he died you could sold his entire body of work and got about enough money to buy a sofa and a couple of chairs. If you follow me now…"

"Who is it?" A kid from behind them asked.

"It's the doctor." Another answered causing the Doctor and Stella to turn around spotting two schoolboys looking at the portrait of Doctor Gachet. "He was the doctor who took care of Van Gogh when he started to go mad."

"I knew that." The first child said.

"Look." Amy grabbed onto Stella and the Doctor yanking them over to the painting of the Church at Auvers. "There it is." Amy held up her guide book. "The actual one."

"Yes. You can almost feel his hand painting it right in front of you, carving the colors into shapes…" The Doctor trailed off as he looked over the painting then he frowned. "Wait a minute."

"What?" Amy asked.

"Well, just look at that." The Doctor gestured.

"What?" Amy tried to see what he was seeing.

"Something very not good indeed." The Doctor said leaning in close to the painting.

"What thing very not good?" Amy asked.

"Look there, in the window of the church." He said pointing to a dragon-like image peering out through the window.

"Is it a face?" Amy asked, eyeing the wicked looking face in the window.

"Yes. And not a nice face at all." The Doctor replied rubbing his hands together. "I know evil when I see it and I see it in that window."

"Of course, can't just visit a museum." Stella said in a mixture of frustration and weariness.

The Doctor gave her a quick kiss on the forehead taking her hand in his leading her over to Doctor Black keeping a hold on Stella's hand rubbing the back of it reassuringly with his thumb. Black was at the Still Life with Twelve Sunflowers talking about it to his group.

"It has changed hands for something in the region of twenty…" Black was telling them before the Doctor cut him off.

"Excuse me. If I can just interrupt for one second." The Doctor flashed his psychic paper back and forth to the crowd. "Sorry, everyone. Routine inspection, Ministry of Art and Artiness." He looked to Black. "So, er…"

"Doctor Black." Black supplied his name.

"Yes, that's right." The Doctor nodded. "Do you know when that picture of the church was painted?"

"Ah, well, ah, well, what an interesting question." Black said gearing up for a long speech. "Most people imagine…"

"I'm going to have to hurry you." The Doctor cut him off. "When was it?"

"Exactly?" Black questioned, a bit taken back.

"As exactly as you can." The Doctor replied urgently. "Without a long speech, if poss. I'm in a hurry."

"Well, in that case, probably somewhere between the first and third of June." Black told him.

"What year?" The Doctor asked.

"1890. Less than a year before, before he killed himself." Black struggled with the last part, saddened at the thought of the death of such a great painter.

"Thank you, sir. Very helpful indeed." The Doctor thanked him then eyed Black's bow tie. "Nice bow-tie." He looked back to Amy and Stella. "Bow-ties are cool."

"Yours is very…" Black nodded to the Doctor's bow tie appreciatively.

"Oh, thank you." The Doctor grinned. "Keep telling them stuff." The Doctor grabbed on to Amy, steering her and Stella away. "We need to go."

"What about the other pictures?" Amy pointed out.

"Art can wait. This is life and death." The Doctor pushed Amy ahead of himself and pulled Stella along as they exited the museum. "We need to talk to Vincent Van Gogh."

-0-

Stella sat in the captain's chair as the Doctor worked the controls, her legs were drawn up to her chest and her arms locked around her legs holding them close. Amy had gone off to her room to grab something for the upcoming trip, her excitement bursting at the seams with thoughts of meeting her favorite painter.

"1890, June, between the first and third, no problem. Do hurry up Amy!" The Doctor called out before he looked to Stella with a hopeful smile. "Ready to meet Vincent?"

"It was just supposed to be a museum visit." Stella mumbled.

"I'm sorry, but I need to know what it was he painted." The Doctor said as he kneeled down in front of Stella, his hands on her knees.

"I know." Stella buried her face in her legs, her voice muffled. "You want me to come with you don't you?"

"You can't stay in here forever." The Doctor rubbed her knees.

"That is a matter of opinion." Stella grumbled. The Tardis hummed sharply then rocked violently forcing Stella to stand up and brace herself against the console. "Oh great, now you're ganging up on me."

"Come on Starlight, this is going to be a great adventure." The Doctor took her hands into his spinning her around, pleased when he got a small smile from her. Amy ran back into the room with a bright smile that grew bigger when he saw Stella's small smile.

"Are we there yet?" Amy asked in excitement.

"Yep, ready to go?" The Doctor replied.

"Of course. Stella?" Amy looked to the short woman.

"I guess." Stella wrapped her arms around herself with a shrug, ducking her head as the Doctor and Amy shared concerned looks.

-0-

It was a lovely night with a sky full of stars overhead and making for a beautiful sight in the gleaming city. The Tardis materialized in a narrow alley, scaring a cat who voiced out its irritation as it made a run for it. The Doctor stepped out first hand in hand with Stella and Amy following them out, a large smile on her face.

"Right, so, here's the plan." The Doctor said as they walked along swinging his and Stella's hands back and forth, Stella nervously glancing around for any sign of danger that might be lurking with the alley. "We find Vincent and he leads us straight to the church and our nasty friend."

"Easy peasy." Amy nodded.

"I don't think anything will be easy peasy with Mister Van Gogh." Stella said wearily, the Doctor kissing the top of her head reassuringly.

"Now, he'll probably be in the local cafe. Sort of orangey light, chairs and tables outside." The Doctor told them as Amy looked in her exhibition guide book.

"Like this?" Amy held it up for the others to see pointing to the lovely painting of the café.

"That's the one." The Doctor nodded as Amy looked up from her book.

"Or indeed like that." Amy took note of the café they had come upon once coming to the end of the alley.

"Yeah, exactly like that." The Doctor agreed with a grin as they made their way over to the manager. "Good evening. Does the name Vincent Van Gogh ring a bell?"

"Don't mention that man to me." The manager stalked back inside, the time travelers exchanging shocked looks before moving onto a waitress.

"Excuse me." The Doctor gained her attention. "Do you know Vincent Van Gogh?"

"Unfortunately." She replied dryly, the face of the waitress behind her frowning in agreement.

"Unfortunately?" Amy echoed.

"He's drunk, he's mad and he never pays his bills." The waitress bit out, the other nodding

"Good painter, though, eh?" The Doctor commented to the general hilarity which ensued amongst the waitresses and patrons at the very idea. Stella took a seat at one of the tables, the Doctor standing behind her hands resting on her shoulders.

"Come on! Come on! One painting for one drink. That's not a bad deal." The great painter Van Gogh himself pressed as Maurice, the owner, led the impecunious customer outside.

"It wouldn't be a bad deal if the painting were any good." Maurice held up the painting as the Doctor gestured to Van Gogh and Amy fangirled on the other side of the owner and painter. "I can't hang that up on my walls. It'd scare the customers half to death." Maurice said in irritation. "It's bad enough having you in here in person, let alone looming over the customers day and night in a stupid hat. You pay money or you get out."

"I'll pay, if you like." The Doctor stepped in placing his hands back on Stella's shoulders rubbing them soothingly.

"What?" Maurice starred at him along with the Vincent Van Gogh, a red headed man with deep china blue eyes.

"Well, if you like, I'll pay for the drink. Or I'll pay for the painting and you can use the money to pay for the drink." The Doctor rambled with a smile.

"Exactly who are you?" Vincent questioned as he looked between the couple.

"Oh, we're new in town." The Doctor replied.

"Well, in that case, you don't know three things. One, I pay for my own drinks, thank you." Vincent said causing everyone to laugh, and his face to go a bit red though he pressed past his embarrassment and continued to speak. "Two, no one ever buys any of my paintings or they would be laughed out of town."

"Wouldn't be the first time." Stella commented in a sotto voice so only the Doctor could hear. He made to protest, but instead nodded in agreement knowing it was true.

"So if you want to stay in town, I suggest you keep your cash to yourself. And three…" He paused for a moment before looking to Stella as well as glancing behind him to Amy. "Your friends are cute," Then he focused back on the Doctor. "but you should keep your big nose out of other people's business." Vincent looked back to Maurice pleadingly. "Come on, just one more drink. I'll pay tomorrow."

"No." Maurice replied.

"Or, on the other hand, slightly more compassionately, yes?" Vincent pleaded.

"Or, on the other hand, to protect my business from madmen, no." Maurice snapped.

"Or…" Vincent went to try again.

"Oh look, just shut up, the pair of you." Amy cut in as she strolled between them. "I would like a bottle of wine, please, which I will then share with whomever I choose."

"That could be good." Vincent said right away.

"That's good by me." Maurice nodded.

"Good." Amy nodded as Maurice shoved Vincent's Self-portrait with Straw Hat back into his hands and goes inside with Amy, Vincent following like a lost puppy and the time travelers bringing up the rear.

-0-

They all sat down at one of the tables against the wall, Stella sat at the head of the table next to the Doctor with Amy on his other side across from Vincent. The inside of the café was alight with candle lit lanterns and the sounds of the patrons filled the air.

"That accent of yours." Vincent looked to Amy. "You from Holland like me?"

"Yes/No." The Doctor and Amy said at the same time.

"She means yes." The Doctor covered quickly. "So, start again." He held out his hand "Hello, I'm the Doctor and this is…"

"I knew it!" Vincent snapped as the Doctor's hand fell back to the table.

"Sorry?" Stella raised an eyebrow.

"My brother's always sending doctors, but you won't be able to help." Vincent spat out.

"Don't worry, he's not your doctor, he's my Doctor." Stella said as she leaned into the Doctor who had his arm around her.

"To right." The Doctor grinned pointing to a painting next to Vincent. "That's incredible, don't you think, Amy? Stella?"

"Beautiful." Stella nodded tiredly.

"Absolutely." Amy said enthusiastically. "One of my favorites."

"One of my favorite what's?" Vincent echoed in confusion. "You've never seen my work before."

"Ah yes." Amy realized her mistake, and then quickly tried to cover taking a sip from her drink. "One of my favorite paintings that I've ever seen, generally."

"Then you can't have seen many paintings, then." Vincent frowned as he eyed his painting critically. "I know it's terrible." He sat the painting back down. "It's the best I can do."

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." Stella said gaining his attention. "I like it, don't sale yourself so short."

"Your hair's orange." Vincent commented as he studied her hair then looked to Amy's leaning toward her. "As is yours."

"Yes, so's yours." Amy pointed out as she leaned forward as well

"Yes. It was more orange, but now is, of course, less." Vincent sighed as he eyed her, swirling his drink around a bit.

"So." The Doctor broke their moment. "Er, Vincent, painted any churches recently? Any churchy plans? Are churches, chapels, religiously stuff like that, something you'd like to get into?" The Doctor questioned pressingly. "You know, fairly soon?"

"Well, there is one church I'm thinking of painting when the weather is right." Vincent admitted with a nod.

"That is very good news." The Doctor said right before an older woman ran into the cafe, screaming hysterically.

"She's been murdered! Help me!" The woman called out frantically.

"That, on the other hand, isn't quite such good news." The Doctor's face fell, all of them scrambling to their feet. "Come on, Amy, Stella, Vincent!"

Amy and the Doctor ran out, Vincent grabbing his drink to quickly down it before following as well. Stella had shot to her feet as well then froze in place, eyes wide before she forced herself to follow, her breathing becoming shallow as a painful throb hit her in the chest.

"She's been ripped to shreds!" A man said as the time travelers and famous artist came upon the scene, Stella hesitantly bringing up the rear coming to a sudden stop right behind the Doctor when he saw her.

"Please, let me look. I'm a Doctor." The Doctor looked the body over after pushing through the crowd.

Stella wrapped her arms around her shaking form, tears gathering in her tortured eyes at the sight of the bloodied body. She bit her lip hard, her face horrified, as the body changed to that of the many she had seen die at the claws of the Lacerta, every one of them flashing before her mind's eye in the space of a second. Amy gently reached over taking Stella's hand in hers when she saw her reaction to the body. Stella gave Amy a quick tight smile and was careful not to crush her hand in hers as she tried to stop the shaking in her limbs.

"Who is it?" A woman asked.

"Oh no, no, no." The Doctor chanted under his breath as he kneeled down examining the body.

"Is she dead?" A man questioned.

"Away, all of you vultures. This is my daughter. Giselle. What monster could have done this?" The mother sobbed violently. "Get away from her!"

"Okay, okay." The Doctor backed away with Vincent, Amy, and Stella.

"Get that madman out of here!" The mother screeched and then the crowd started throwing stones at Vincent causing the time traveler to get pelted, too. Stella caught one of the rocks, her once sad eyes blazing in anger as she made to throw it back, but the Doctor stopped her.

"No Stella, don't, let's get out of here." The Doctor gripped her wrist. Stella clenched her teeth crushing the rock in her hand before they followed after the others along with the Doctor who kept her hand gripped in his.

"You bring this on us. Your madness! You!" The mother called after them. "He's to blame!"

They made their way from the angry crowd as fast as they could, the Doctor allowing Amy and Vincent to get ahead of he and Stella.

"Were you really going to throw that stone back at them?" The Doctor stated more than questioned despite his phrasing.

"Maybe." Stella looked away from him, not wanting to see his disappointed gaze.

"Stella…" The Doctor started.

"I was angry and they were attacking us for no reason, if just one of those stones had hit Amy or Vincent just right it could have killed them." Stella cut him off sharply, angry at the crowd and herself for losing her temper.

"And if you had done the same when you through your rock, you have a much, much better arm than them Stella." The Doctor admonished her.

"I know, I know…I'm sorry..." Stella sighed. "It's just that body and the crowd, I just felt so angry and scared, I'm sorry."

"It's going to be ok Stella, we'll get through this." The Doctor pecked her forehead and wrapping his arm around her bringing her shaking form close to his side. Stella let out a comforted sigh as she nuzzled into his side. "Come on, let's get to the others."

"Alright." Stella nodded as they hurried to catch up to the others who had paused to catch their breath, the sounds of the angry crowd far away.

"Are you all right?" The Doctor asked them in concern.

"Yes, I'm used to it." Vincent sighed.

"You shouldn't have to be." Stella said with a frown.

"Has anything like this murder happened here before?" The Doctor asked Vincent.

"Only a week ago. It's a terrible time." Vincent told them grimly.

"As I thought. As I thought." The Doctor mumbled to himself as he let go of Stella, pacing forward a few steps to clap Vincent on the shoulder. "Come on, we'd better get you home."

"Where are you staying tonight?" Vincent asked him.

"Oh, you're very kind." The Doctor patting him on the shoulder once more before moving on, Amy sending Vincent giggled nervously when Vincent turned to her before hurrying after the Doctor. Stella shook her head in amusement as she watched the two of them rush off toward Vincent's home, or at least the way the Doctor thought it was.

"Sorry, he's a bit…yeah." Stella rubbed the back of her head as she started after the others, Vincent falling into step beside her, placing his straw hat atop his head. He eyed her out of the corner of his eye as he thought over the way he had seen her acting and reacting since the moment he had seen her. The sadness in her eyes, the tortured gaze, echoing in his heart.

"This man, he is your Doctor?" Vincent asked breaking the silence. Stella nodded as she twisted her engagement ring around her finger with her thumb. "What ails you?"

"My past." Stella said before hurrying after the others after the others without going into detail, Vincent following with a concerned look, but kept his thoughts to himself. They caught up to the Doctor and Amy, Vincent changing their direction toward his home.

"Dark night." The Doctor commented smiling when Stella caught up beside him entwining his finger with hers. "Very starry."

"It's not much. I live on my own." Vincent said as he took them up to a ramshackle cottage. "But you should be okay for one night." Vincent eyed them sternly over his shoulder before emphasizing his point. "One night."

"Thank you." Stella said with a small nod that Vincent returned as he lit a lamp, his eyes lingering on hers looking thoughtful.

"We're going to stay with him?" Amy asked in excitement, keeping her voice down so she was not overheard by the famed painter.

"Until he paints that church." The Doctor replied equally as quiet.

"Watch out. That one's wet." Vincent gestured to the painting hanging outside the door to his home to dry.

"What?" Amy asked before looking up at The Bedroom in Arles masterpiece hanging before her. A smile spread across her face, her eyes widening in excited amazement.

"Sorry about all the clutter." Vincent apologized as he lit another lamp inside the house.

"Some clutter." The Doctor said as they stepped into Vincent's homes their faces filling with wide eyed wonder at the amount of artistic talent which surrounded them.

"I've come to accept the only person who's going to love my paintings is me." Vincent admitted as they toured the room, looking from painting to painting. Stella walked into another room up to The Starry Night, her personal favorite. She took in the swirling pattern painted to represent the night sky, a smile tugging at her lips.

"Wow. I mean, really. Wow." Amy took it all in, moving in a circle as she absorbed the grand talent fresh and new around her.

"Yeah, I know it's a mess. I'll have a proper clear out. I must, I really must." Vincent said as his guests browsed the pictures around the room as if they were in a gallery. "Coffee, anyone?"

"Not for me thank you." Stella shook her head, not taking her eyes off the painting.

"Nor me." The Doctor added sticking his head through the door Stella had just come through. Vincent put the coffee pot down on a still life causing the Doctor to frown. "You know, you should be careful with these. They're precious."

"Precious to me. Not precious to anyone else." Vincent shook his head as he moved the coffee pot wiping away the ring it left.

"They're precious to me." Amy spoke up following the Doctor into the other room. The Doctor glancing over to Stella walking up next to her smiling as well, not at the painting, but at Stella's smiling face, a nice change in comparison to her saddened state. He slipped his hand into her giving it a loving squeeze.

"Well, you're very kind." Vincent smiled slightly at her. "And kindness is most welcome."

"Right, so, this church, then. Near here, is it?" The Doctor asked turning back to Vincent with Stella's hand still in his.

"What is it with you and the church?" Vincent questioned as he got some logs and started to prepare a fire for the fireplace.

"Oh, just casually interested in it, you know." The Doctor tried to cover as Amy wondered over to The Starry Night.

"Far from casual. It seems to me you never talk about anything else." Vincent commented placing the logs before looking to the girls. "He's a strange one."

"Yes, we know." Stella smiled slightly, the Doctor grinning widely at her teasing, something he had missed. He knew making her come out for an adventure would be good for her.

"Okay, so, let's talk about you, then." The Doctor looked to Vincent. "What are you interested in?"

"Well, look around." Vincent gestured to his work. "Art. It seems to me there's so much more to the world than the average eye is allowed to see. I believe, if you look hard, there are more wonders in this universe than you could ever have dreamed of."

"You don't have to tell me." The Doctor smiled, holding up Stella's hand and kissing the back of it. They had sat down for a time and it wasn't long before Vincent started to go off on an artistic rant.

"It's color. Color that holds the key." Vincent started to get worked up. "I can hear the colors. Listen to them." Vincent gestured sharply as he talked, unable to stand still. "Every time I step outside, I feel nature is shouting at me. Come on. Come and get me." He grabbed onto the Doctor's lapels. "Come on. Come on! Capture my mystery!"

"Maybe you've had enough coffee now." The Doctor said as he stood up and made to get the tea ready. "How about some nice calming tea? Let's get you a cup of chamomile or something, shall we?"

"But you understand, I can see it in your eyes." Vincent looked to Stella as he took the Doctor's vacated seat.

"My talents were in music, that's how I had captured the mysteries around me. Everything had a melody, a song and I loved to bring it to life in any way I could with any instrument I could or with my voice alone, a symphony of life just waiting to be played." Stella said with a sad smile.

"You should hear her." The Doctor commented.

"I would like that." Vincent nodded.

"I haven't played in quite some time I'm afraid." Stella shook her head, looking down at her lap where her hands the clenched together. "I haven't been able to."

"You'll play again someday love, you'll see, you just need time." The Doctor took her hand kneeling down in front of her giving it a reassuring squeeze knowing that she had not played for a long time and how it affected her.

"I hope so." Stella said softly, missing her talent terribly.

"You will, now for that tea." The Doctor stood back to his feet. "What do you say Amy? How about some tea?" The Doctor looked around for their companion who was nowhere in sight. "Amy? Where's Amy?" A scream cut through the air from outside sending them all to their feet rushing for the door. "No, no, no!" They all burst out into the courtyard where Amy was struggling to get up. "Amy? Amy? What happened?"

"I don't know. I didn't see it." Amy explained as Stella helped her up, checking her over for injury. "I was having a look at the paintings out here when something hit me from behind."

"Are you hurt?" Stella asked in concern, Amy shaking her head in response as she clung to Stella's arms and Stella to hers helping to steady the young girl.

"It's okay." The Doctor assured her. "He's gone now and we're here."

"No! No!" Vincent saw something behind them that they could not, his eyes widening in fear as he backed away.

"Take it easy. Take it easy!" The Doctor tried to calm him down. Vincent searched around him grabbing up a pitchfork and turning it on them seemingly.

"What's happening? What's he doing?" Amy questioned fearfully as Vincent thrust the pitchfork around.

"I don't know." The Doctor replied. "Oh, dear.

"Run. Run!" Vincent ordered harshly.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's not a bad idea. Amy, Stella, get back." Stella pulled Amy back behind the side of the cottage into the doorway keeping the red head close. "He's having some kind of fit. I'll try to calm him down." The Doctor said getting closer to Vincent who was stabbing at the air. "Easy, Vincent, easy. Look. Look, look, look. It's me, it's me, it's me. It's the Doctor, look. No-one else is here. So, Vincent…"

"Look out!" Vincent tried to warn him, but the Doctor was struck sideways, hitting the ground hard.

"I can't see anything. What is it?" Amy called out fearfully as Stella ran over to the Doctor helping him up.

"That is a good question." The Doctor winced in pain before rushing over to Vincent and picking up a long stick. "Let me help you."

"You can see him, too?" Vincent questioned as the Doctor waved his stick around recklessly

"Yes…ish…well, no. Not really." The Doctor got sent flying again over a table thudding to the ground in front of Vincent, something growling after him.

"You couldn't see him?" Vincent looked down at where the Doctor lay.

"No. No." The Doctor replied looking up at him then he scrambled to his feet with a cry once again waving his stick around at nothing. "Oi!"

"Can't we do something?" Amy looked to Stella as Vincent fended off the invisible creature.

"I did some updates to my eyes, let's try them out." Stella placed her fingers on the side of her head, her eyes flashing as she looked through different spectrums until looking for a heat signature worked. The world was now a blurry blue black color except for the three red forms that represented the Doctor, Amy, and Van Gogh along with a much larger fiery looking being. "I can see it, look out!

The Doctor swung wildly while Stella ran over to Vincent forcing him to duck as the beast attacked again. Together the two ducked and dodged around the creature, Stella pelting it with anything she could get her hands on then Vincent plunged the pitchfork into the invisible enemy causing it to call out in pain as it retreated away from them. Vincent and Stella watched it go until it was out of their sight then turned to where the Doctor continued to fight the air. Vincent and Stella watched for a time exchanging slightly amused glances before Vincent had pity on the Doctor.

"He's gone." Vincent called out.

"Oh, right." The Doctor slowly stopped, lowering his stick. "Yes." His looked to Stella, taking in her smile, though not as big as it had once been it was an improvement which made him smile. Two in one day, he was on a role. "Of course."

-0-

"Right. So he's invisible." The Doctor ranted as they went back to Vincent's home. "What did he look like?"

"Well all I could see was heat radiation." Stella said as she, Amy, and the Doctor took a seat. Glancing up she noticed Vincent's confused look. "I could only see a blurry red-ish orange yellow figure? Like I was looking through foggy stained glass?" Stella tried to explain, but Vincent still looked confused. "Not much detail."

"Here, I'll show you." Vincent took a canvas, some white pain and covered over a bunch of violets with it.

"Oh, no, no. No, no!" The Doctor bemoaned as he shot to his feet startling the painter, Amy covering her mouth in horror.

"What?" Vincent looked to him as Stella winced, eyeing the ruined painting.

"It's just er, that was quite a good…" The Doctor shook his head. "Oh, no. On you go." Amy watched in rapt attention as Vincent produced a charcoal sketch of a thing with a wicked beak, crest and claws. He gazed at it for a moment before showing it to the Doctor. "Okay. Okay. Right. Amy, make Mister Van Gogh comfortable." The Doctor took the painting. "Don't let any invisible monsters in through the front door."

"But it could be outside, waiting." Amy pointed out as she stood up.

"Well, don't worry. I'll risk it." The Doctor brushed off her worry. "What's the worst that can happen?"

"You could get torn into pieces by a monster you can't see." Amy pointed out.

"Oh right, yes, that." The Doctor frowned.

"Don't worry, I'll protect him like I always do." Stella sighed as she walked over to him.

"I have been known to protect you as well if I recall correctly." The Doctor wrapped his arm around her pulling her close pressing a kiss onto the top of her head. "But really Stella, you should stay here with Vincent and Amy, keep any eye on them."

"I don't need to be baby sat." Stella frowned even though she had not been at her best lately she was still offended that he thought she needed looking after.

"And that is not why you're staying, you're staying to babysit them." The Doctor motioned to Vincent and Amy, but Stella just shot him a sharp look. He took hold of her upper arms rubbing them with his thumbs as he bowed his head to peer into her eyes pleadingly. "Please."

"Fine." Stella caved.

"Thank you love." The Doctor smiled kissing her forehead. "Now I'll be back before you can say where had he got to now?" The Doctor smiled as he walked out of the room then suddenly came back in speaking loudly causing them all to jump. "Not that fast! But pretty fast." He grinned. "See you around."

"I hate it when he does that." Stella rubbed her temples with a tired sigh.

Vincent gave the some blankets before he retired up to his bed after the girls insisted that they wanted to stay downstairs to wait for the Doctor. Stella wrapped one of the blankets around herself as she set down at a table. Amy did the same with the other blanket setting down across from Stella. She tried not to stare at Stella and tried to come up with a way to start a conversation, but was coming up short.

"I'm fine Amy, you can talk to me, no need to walk on eggshells." Stella sighed.

"Sorry." Amy said with a wince. "The Doctor and I have just been really worried about you lately."

"I know, it's just hard to get over facing your past." Stella rested her arms on the table then laid her chin on her arms.

"I know I can't even begin to understand what you went through Stella, but I do know that staying shut up and pushing the world away isn't going to help." Amy said hesitantly. Stella shifted so that her face was hidden from Amy, her forehead resting on her arms. "I think the Doctor would understand." Amy said breaking the short silence. "You never really talk about what happened to you, just the general story, and I don't know if you've ever opened up to the Doctor, but I really do think he'd be able to help you if you'd just…" Amy trailed off as she heard a soft snore coming from Stella. She stood up wondering over to Stella bending over to look under Stella's crossed arms to see that she had fallen asleep. "If you're just acting like you're asleep so I stop talking I will be cross." Amy said as she straightened back up and returned to her seat and got comfortable, following Stella into sleep. "And I was on a roll."

-0-

The Doctor ran into the Tardis happy that he hadn't run into their invisible foe. He ran up to the console removing the grating and pulling junk out until he found a large trunk. He hauled it out and started hunting through it.

"Right. You in here somewhere? I can't apologize enough. I thought you were just a useless gadget. I thought you were just an embarrassing present from a dull godmother with two heads and bad breath. Twice. How wrong can a man be?" The Doctor shuffled through the contents of the trunk until he pulled out a gizmo with a rear view mirror fastened to the top. The Doctor plugged it into the console and it powered up. He stood in front of it sticking out his tongue. The mirror lit up with Match Found Print Ready. It printed off pictures of his previous regenerations one and two before he was satisfied. "Good. Okay, you're working. Now, see what you make of this. Who is that?"

The Doctor held up the sketch of the monster that Vincent had painted and the machine dinged with a match found print ready of a macaw.

"No, we know it's not that. There are thousands of them and you can see them plain as day." A polar bear came up next. "No. Definitely not. This is the problem with the impressionists. Not accurate enough."

The Doctor threw the painting over his shoulder.

"This would never happen with Gainsborough or one of those proper painters. Sorry, Vincent. You will just have to draw something better." The Doctor ran out of the Tardis wearing the gizmo on his chest, with the rear view mirror looking over his right shoulder. An image of the beast appearing in it dinging as it brought up the information. "That's better, old girl. Time delay, but you always get it right in the end. Good. Let's find out who this is, then. Well, well, there you are. Krafayis. Planet of origin uncertain. Nomadic pack animals. Strict dominance hierarchy. Huge territories, several solar systems wide. Preferred habitat: Planets with oxygen and nitrogen based atmospheres. Oh, you poor thing. You brutal, murderous, abandoned thing. I hope we meet again soon so we can take you home."

The Doctor felt sympathetic toward the creature then realized it was right behind him seeing it in the mirror.

"Maybe not that soon." The Doctor ran as it chased after him, only visible in the mirror for the Doctor. The Doctor tried scattering benches and other objects to slow it down. "Take that, and that." The Doctor ducked around a corner and eventually it left when it could not find the Doctor. He listened carefully, but hearing nothing he slowly looked round the corner and let out a startled yelp. "Never do that! You scared the living daylights out of me."

"Sorry, I got bored. As much as you admire his command of color and shape, it is hard to get fond of Vincent Van Gogh's snoring though it doesn't seem to bother Stella in the least." Amy commented as the Doctor calmed down.

"Stella's sleeping?" The Doctor perked up as they started back toward Vincent's home.

"Yeah, passed out after you left." Amy smiled.

"That's good." The Doctor sighed.

"Yeah, maybe she's getting better." Amy said hopefully as the Doctor nodded hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst.

-0-

Stella was shaking hard, her face covered in a sheen of sweat. She had been unable to stave off her need for sleep any longer, the weeks without it finally catching up to her. She had literally passed out as Amy had been talking to her. Her sleep had started out dreamless, but as before it didn't stay that way.

The screaming, the eternal screaming of the tortured and mutilated filled her minds ears as gory images of slow deaths at the hands of the Lacerta played out before her. As the dreamed reached a fever pitch the Lacerta started to look like Silurians until the two races were so intermingled that she could not tell one from the other. Then to her horror her fellow inmates started to take on the form of past friends and companions as well as current. She tried to stop them, to save those before her, but it was no use and once they were finished with the others they came for her.

The worst of it though was when they were through with her and she turned on them. She could still remember the feeling as if it were yesterday, the power of holding their lives in her hands, extinguishing them as she exacted her vengeance against them. So it was not only the screams of the prisoners, but of the Lacerta as well. Torrents of blood surrounded her, drowning her, forcing its way into her mouth, nose, ears, and eyes until all she saw was red and all she heard was the dying.

When the Doctor and Amy came into Vincent's home to see Stella still asleep with her head on the table, but it was obvious that it was far from a restful sleep. She was calling out feverishly in multitude of different languages and one of her hands that was laid out across the table was digging into the wood causing it to splinter.

The Doctor rushed over placing his hands gently on her shoulders. Faster than they could blink Stella had snapped awake grabbing the Doctor, spun him around pinning him with his back was pressed against the table so that his lower half was hanging off and her fist was raised, poised to strike, her eyes blazing bright.

"Stella!" Amy called out snapping her out of it. She blinked a few times as she came out of her dream letting out a sharp gasp when she realized what she had almost done. She let go of the Doctor stumbling back, her arms wrapped around herself, her head shaking back and forth.

"Stella, its ok, it wasn't you." The Doctor said gently as he walked forward. Stella stepped away from him turning on her heel and bolting out the door.

This wasn't the first time she had almost attacked him coming out of one of her nightmares and every time he always tried to reassure her that it wasn't her fault, but she wasn't sure she believed him anymore. She had to get away from him before she hurt him, she had to run, she just had to keep running.

She could hear the Doctor calling out for her, saying it wasn't safe to be on her own, as he gave chase, but she moved much faster, soon disappearing from his sight. He stopped gazing around trying to find a sign of her, but saw none. With a reluctant sigh he returned to Vincent's home.

"Where's Stella? Did you get her?" Amy instantly pelted him with her worried questions.

"She needs some time." The Doctor said as he sat down heavily, face in his hands.

"But that thing is still out there." Amy said looking back out the door.

"I know." The Doctor snapped as he shot to his feet, pacing back and forth like caged beast. "But I can't help if she won't let me, I can't do anything. She's in more danger than just that creature, she's in danger of herself and there's nothing I can do."

Amy starred at him wide eyed, having not seen him this distraught since he had lost Stella to the Silurians, it was even worse than when he faced the Daleks that he seemed to hate so much. Amy walked over to him wrapping her arms around him tightly, rubbing his back.

"It's going to be ok Doctor, I know it will." Amy said as the Doctor rested his head on her shoulder. "Stella's strong and besides, she has the universes greatest Doctor to help her." The Doctor chuckled dryly. "And you know what?"

"What?" The Doctor asked tiredly.

"I gotcha, I gotcha both." Amy said giving him another tight hug as the Doctor mumbled his thanks. When they separated the Doctor went outside taking his psychic paper from his pocket flipping it open hoping that his message got to the only other person he trusted in the Universe to help Stella.

-0-

Stella felt bad for running away from the Doctor, but she was too shaken and upset by what had almost happened again. She was able to come to before she did anything before, but she was always afraid that one day she would slip. Once she was sure that the Doctor wasn't following she made her way through the country side at a slower pace. She walked with her arms crossed and her figure hunched keeping her eyes to the ground.

Soon the country side gave way to the town where she located a small café. With a tired sigh she took a seat at one of the small tables ordering a cup of ginger tea with extra honey and sugar. She stirred her drink starring off at nothing as her dreams filled her mind. She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't even notice someone coming up to her table starring down at her with a fond smile.

"Why the long face doll?" The man said causing Stella's head to snap up, eyes wide.

"Jack?!" Stella sprung from her chair toppling it over in her haste to get to him.

"Miss me that much?" Jack smiled as he wrapped her up in a hug spinning her around a few times before sitting her down on her feet.

"Oh Jack, I'm so glad to see you! What are you doing here?" Stella asked as she stepped back, but stayed in his arms. "How did you get here?"

"I got my hopper fixed for this one and only exclusive trip." Jack help up his vortex manipulator. "And I hear from a little bird that you ain't doing too well."

"A funny bird called Doctor?" Stella asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Doctor." He nodded. "I called him when you hadn't video called me in a long time, I got worried. He said he'd try and get you to call, but obviously had no luck." Stella looked down in guilt, Jack gently lifted her head up by her chin. "Then when he told me about what happened…Stella, I am so sorry."

Stella said nothing as her face crumpled and she started to sob, Jack wrapping his arms around her pulling her close as she cried clinging to his lapels. He took her away from the few people of the café who were eyeing them. He led her to a secluded bench just on the outskirts of the town overlooking the countryside. Stella laid her head on Jack's shoulder while he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. They sat looking out over the landscape while Stella told Jack what had happened.

"Why don't you talk to the Doctor about all of this? Why are you running away from him?" Jack asked softly.

"I'm afraid." Stella said just as softly.

"Afraid of what?" Jack asked her.

"The nightmares, they nearly drove me mad the last time they were this bad. I had to commit myself to a mental institute because I was starting to…to….dear lord, it's still so hard to even talk about." Stella shook her head taking in a deep breath. "All that time having to stay isolated with the psychiatrist asking all of those searching questions and then I finally make it through to where I'm at least able to operate in normal society it all gets flung back into my face." The Stella wrapped her arms around herself hunching over as if in pain. "But then the sick twist had to be added just to make matter worse."

"What sick twist?" Jack asked hesitantly.

"Rory." Stella muttered as Jack rubbed her arm, trying to comfort her. "It's my fault he's gone and that Amy can't remember him."

"That was not your fault." Jack said sternly. "Rory did what he thought was right, protecting his friend, and I doubt very much he'd want you to let it eat away at you like this. Neither would Amy from what I understand about her." Jack took her face in his hands making her meet his eyes. "Stella you need to pull yourself together, you can't let all of this get to you and tear you apart like this. Not only for those around you that love and care about you, but for yourself as well." Jack pulled her into a tight hug. "You deserve a good life, a happy life."

"Do you really think so?" Stella asked, feeling like that was exactly the opposite of what she deserved.

"Without a doubt, you need to stop looking at all of that bad things in your life and look at the good. Certain good things like a certain besotted time lord who's probably worried crazy about you. So you better get back to him before he worries himself into a tizzy." Jack said standing up and pulling Stella with him.

"You're right." Stella nodded pulling him into a tight hug. "Thank you Jack."

"Anything for you." Jack kissed the top of her head the pulled her back eyeing her hair. "Just one more thing." Jack reached up taking her hair down so it now fell in loose waves reaching her waist. "Perfect, now get moving, it's almost morning."

"Aren't you coming along?" Stella asked taking hold of his hands. "There's a red headed Scotswoman that would just love to meet Captain Jack in person."

"As tempting as that sounds I can't, made a promise to come and just to see you, I need to get back to work anyway." Jack sighed as he took a step back and started to type into his vortex manipulator. "No rest for the wicked."

"Exactly what are you doing for work?" Stella asked eyeing him.

"A little of this and that." Jack grinned with a wink.

"Just be careful, and I'll call you Jack." Stella said with a smile, her hearts filling a bit lighter.

"You better." Jack grinned before he flashed away. Stella took a deep breath turning to face the rising sun and remembered a quote from Walt Whitman. "Keep your face always toward the sunshine - and shadows will fall behind you."

-0-

The Doctor had stayed up all night waiting for Stella to return to Vincent's home, but she had yet to make an appearance though she did send a signal to his sonic every thirty minutes to let her know she was ok. He had attempted to track her a few times, but she easily blocked him from finding her. Finally the sun had risen and Amy had decided to surprise Vincent so he went upstairs to wake the famed painter.

"Wake, wakey, rise and shine! Breakfast is served in the courtyard." The Doctor called out cheerfully as he waltzed into Vincent's room opening the window's to let in the sun. "Whoa! What a morning. Come on." Vincent groggily woke up pulling on his suspenders as he climbed out of bed. "And Amy's got a little surprise for you."

Vincent wondered over to the window and took in the sight of Amy setting out amongst lots and lots of sun flowers in various pots all around her.

"I thought I'd brighten things up to thank you for saving me last night." Amy smiled brightly.

"Ah." Vincent breathed out.

"I thought you might like, you know, possibly to perhaps paint them or something? Might be a thought." Amy blatantly hinted.

"Yes, well, they're not my favorite flower." Vincent sat on the edge of the window seat.

"You don't like sunflowers?" Amy asked in confusion.

"No, it's not that I don't like them. I find them complex." Vincent said as he looked over one of the sunflowers near his window. "Always somewhere between living and dying. Half-human as they turn to the sun. A little disgusting." Vincent wrinkled his nose. "But, you know, they are a challenge."

"And one I'm pretty sure you'll rise to." Stella said as she came into the courtyard, her hair flowing in the morning breeze.

"Stella!" The Doctor smiled brightly rushing for the door only pausing to say a quick word to Vincent. "Vincent, wait here, there's something we need to show you, but first I need a mo with Stella."

The Doctor rushed down the stairs to Stella who smiled as Amy gave her a sunflower crown she had made while waiting for Vincent to wake up. Stella placed it on her head before the hugged Amy again before she spotted the Doctor rushing over to her. He pulled her into his arms spinning her around before setting her back down on her feet pulling her tightly to his chest. Amy and Vincent both went about their business giving the couple some privacy.

"Doctor, you're crushing me." Stella breathed out and the Doctor let go holding her at arm's length. He took in the sight of her with the vibrant sunflower crown atop her head and felt his hearts beating rapidly in his chest with relief.

"Stella, are you ok?" The Doctor looked her over.

"I'm fine now; I just had to calm down." Stella smoothed his lapels down. "Thank you for calling Jack."

"No problem at all, anything to help." The Doctor assured her cupping her face. Stella cast her eyes to the ground, her hands reaching up covering his hands with hers.

"I'm sorry….for running away…and…just everything…." Stella gripped his hands.

"It wasn't your fault, I should have known better than to have woken you so suddenly." The Doctor kissed her forehead. "And I of all people understand what it's like when you just need to run."

"I could have really hurt you." Stella said with frown.

"But you didn't, you never do." The Doctor brushed her cheeks with his thumbs. "You're just going through a hard time right now; we'll get through this, ok?"

"Ok." Stella nodded her head with a sigh. The Doctor wrapped his arms around her, Stella resting her forehead on his shoulder while he did the same resting his cheek on the top of her head. They stood there for a time sharing the peaceful moment, Stella feeling protected and for once in a long time at ease.

-0-

The Doctor and Stella went back into the house hand in hand where the others were waiting for them. The Doctor took out the printout from the gizmo handing it to Vincent who was sitting beside the empty fireplace. The painter looked over the picture with a grim look in his eyes nodding slowly.

"That's him." Vincent affirmed as he looked over the small printout. "And the eyes, without mercy."

"This is a creature called the Krafayis." The Doctor informed him as he paced round the room, sitting down only to stand up again. "They travel in space. They travel as a pack, scavenging across the universe. And sometimes one of them gets left behind."

"And because they are a brutal race, the others never come back." Stella said as she took the picture from Vincent with a sad frown. "So, dotted all around the universe are individual, utterly merciless, utterly abandoned Krafayis."

"And what they do is, well, kill, until they're killed." The Doctor went on taking the seat close to Vincent, Amy the one across from them and Stella remaining standing. "Which they usually aren't. Because other creatures can't see them."

"But I can and so can Stella." Vincent pointed out.

"Yes. And that's why we are in a unique position today, my friend, to end this reign of terror." The Doctor nodded leaning back in his seat. "So, feeling like painting the church today?"

"What about the monster?" Vincent asked in confusion.

"Take my word for it." The Doctor said, his eyebrows raising. "If you paint it, he will come."

"Ominous." Stella frowned as she crossed her arms, trying to smash back her fear.

"Okay." Vincent nodded squaring his shoulders as he snapped to his fear. "I'll get my things."

"In your own time. And I promise you, we'll be out of your hair by this time tomorrow." The Doctor assured him as he started toward his room, not noticing Vincent paused in the door way with a slight frown before continuing on his way.

"This is risky." Stella said softly as she glanced over to the Doctor who nodded in agreement.

"Riskier than normal?" Amy asked as she eyed the two of them.

"Well, think about it. This is the middle of Vincent Van Gogh's greatest year of painting." The Doctor explained as Stella took Vincent's seat. "If we're not careful, the net result of our pleasant little trip will be the brutal murder of the greatest artist who ever lived." The Doctor started to pace again. "Half the pictures on the wall of the Museé D'Orsay will disappear." He plopped down next to Amy. "And it will be our fault."

"Vincent certainly is taking his time." Stella commented after a brief silence.

"We should probably go check on him." The Doctor said taking Stella's hand and leading her to Vincent's room, wanting to her keep her close.

"Vincent? Vincent!" The Doctor knocked on the bedroom door, checked his watch, the knocked again. Not getting an answer the Doctor entered with Stella to find Vincent lying face down on his little bed, crying. The Doctor and Stella frowned in worry at the sight of the sobbing man. "Vincent, can I help?"

"It's so clear you cannot help. And when you leave, and everyone always leaves, I will be left once more with an empty heart and no hope." Vincent moaned as he turned over on his side to face them, his eyes red rimmed and puffy.

"My experience is that there is, you know, surprisingly, always hope." The Doctor said softly as he kneeled down next to the bed.

"Then your experience is incomplete." Vincent snapped, tears streaming from his eyes. "I know how it will end. And it will not end well."

"Come on. Come out. Come on, let's go outside." The Doctor tried patting him on the shoulder, trying to get him cheerful again.

"Get out! You get out. What are you doing here? What are you doing here?" Vincent yelled spiraling down deeper into his depression.

"Very well. I'll leave. I'll leave you." The Doctor backed away slowly with his hands raised as Vincent curled up into a tight ball sobbing hard, and then took note of Stella who was standing still, unmoving next to Vincent's bed, looking down at the tortured man with her brows drawn together in worry. "Stella…"

"Go." Stella ordered softly.

"But…" The Doctor glanced wearily at Vincent.

"We'll be fine, now go." Stella said in a gentle yet stern voice.

"Ok, alright, I'll be right downstairs." The Doctor told Stella who nodded before he left closing the door behind himself.

"Get out." Vincent snapped when he took note of Stella still in the room.

"No." Stella took a small chair sitting it next to the bed and sitting down, her arms crossed in front of herself.

"I said leave me." Vincent yelled.

"I'm not going to." Stella replied evenly and for a time it was quiet. Stella looked to the open window where the sun was streaming through and the birds were singing, an overall cheerful day. "I know what you're going through."

"How could you, you have people who stay." Vincent curled up tighter.

"Not always. There were many horrible times in my life, so many dark days where I was alone." Stella said as her eyes glazed over. "You once asked what ailed me and I said so much…" Stella began haltingly and Vincent slowly uncurled looking straight ahead as he listened. "I have been, in my time, taken apart both physically and mentally more times than I care to remember." Stella sighed as she removed her perception filter ring allowing the blue lines along her bloody to show and explained them to Vincent. "I have seen countless friends die, the suffering of billions upon billions of people, I have been betrayed and abandoned, I have stood on the precipice of death itself, alone and vulnerable with not another soul in sight, and it tore me apart."

"You sound as though you had overcome all of it at one time." Vincent said softly.

"I did, but the nightmares I had managed to push away for so long and lock deep down inside me were set free, they have taken me over, I can feel it." Stella said as she clasped her hands together in front of herself. "I fear that this time I will not recover and every time these feelings come upon you, I am sure you feel the same way."

"I do, I don't like the way they make me feel, but I can't push them away, they consume me." Vincent sat up in the bed resting his feet on the floor. "I do not know what to do except to paint."

"Neither do I, except for my music." Stella agreed. Vincent reached out and taking her hands in his as they sat in silence for a moment. "But lately my muse has seemed to have left me and I miss it terribly."

"There were times I felt that as well, when I could not will my hand to lift my brush." Vincent admitted softly.

"What did you do?" Stella asked him.

"I painted anyway." Vincent admitted. "They were not my best works, but I was able to overcome it and regain my passion."

"And I thought I was here to help you." Stella said with a small smile.

"Will you sing for me?" Vincent asked. Stella looked to him, frozen for a moment. She blinked a few times casting her gaze down to the floor.

"I don't know if I can." Stella said softly.

"Why do you sing?" Vincent asked, but Stella did not answer, keeping her eyes glued to the ground. "For the same reason I paint, because there is something in you that must be free." Vincent gently squeezed her hands making her meet his gaze. "Let it go."

Stella gazed at him for a moment before she closed her eyes and slowly started to sing, her voice growing stronger as the words progressed.

 _My life goes on in endless song_

 _Above earth's lamentations,_

 _I hear the real, though far-off hymn_

 _That hails a new creation._

 _Through all the tumult and the strife_

 _I hear it's music ringing,_

 _It sounds an echo in my soul._

 _How can I keep from singing?_

 _While though the tempest loudly roars,_

 _I hear the truth, it liveth._

 _And though the darkness 'round me close,_

 _Songs in the night it giveth._

 _No storm can shake my inmost calm,_

 _While to that rock I'm clinging._

 _Since love is lord of heaven and earth_

 _How can I keep from singing?_

 _When tyrants tremble in their fear_

 _And hear their death knell ringing,_

 _When friends rejoice both far and near_

 _How can I keep from singing?_

 _In prison cell and dungeon vile_

 _Our thoughts to them are winging,_

 _When friends by shame are undefiled_

 _How can I keep from singing?_

-0-

The Doctor came out from Vincent's room with a deep frown on his face as Amy came up to the stairs to him. The moment Amy saw his look she frowned in worry as she stood next to him.

"What's happening?" Amy asked.

"We're leaving as soon as Stella comes down." The Doctor answered leaning against the stone railing. "Everyone knows he's a delicate man. Just months from now he'll, he'll take his own life."

"Don't say that. Please." Amy said tearfully then glanced around. "Where's Stella?"

"Talking to him, she'll be along in a moment." The Doctor replied moving down the stairs, with Amy following. They went back to the room filled with Vincent's paintings and waited for Stella for a time, the Doctor looking at the picture Prisoners Exercising, but they were short on time.

"Come on. We have to do this on our own." The Doctor said to Amy. "Go to the church at the right time and hope the monster still turns up, Stella will catch up to us."

"I'm ready." Vincent and Stella came into the room, Vincent wearing a long jacket and his hat. He picked up a brush from a jar on a nearby table. "Let's go."

-0-

They walked down a dirt road toward the church, stone walls lining either side of the road, the Doctor and Stella walking behind Amy and Vincent. Vincent was laden down with his painting supply, Amy helping him to carry some of it while the Doctor sported a brown leather case, his free hand entwined with Stella's swinging them back and forth.

"I'm sorry you're so sad." Amy said looping her arm through his.

"But I'm not. Sometimes these moods torture me for weeks, for months." Vincent explained to her. "But I'm good now, if Stella and Amy Pond can soldier on, then so can Vincent Van Gogh."

"But I'm not soldiering on." Amy said in confusion. "I'm fine."

"Oh, Amy. I hear the song of your sadness." Vincent's brows furrowed, adjusting the strap that held his chair on his shoulder. "You've lost someone, I think."

"I'm not sad." Amy argued.

"Then why are you crying?" Vincent asked and Amy's hand went to the tears that slowly fell from her eyes, starting to feel a bit panicked and confused. Stella frowned in guilt looking off to the side of the road. The Doctor let go of her hand to wrap his arm around her shoulder, holding her close. "It's all right. I understand."

"I'm not sure I do." Amy breathed out.

"Okay. Okay." The Doctor gained their attention, wanting to change the subject for both Amy and Stella's sakes. "So, now, we must have a plan. When the creature returns…"

"Then we shall fight him again." Vincent cut in.

"Well, yes, tick." The Doctor said slowly as he eyed Vincent. "But last night we were lucky. Amy could have been killed. So this time, for a start, we have to make sure I can see him too."

"And how are we meant to do that, suddenly?" Amy asked.

"The answer's in this box. I had an excellent, if smelly, godmother." The Doctor held up his suitcase then noticed Stella gazing down the road, her brow furrowed. The others followed her gaze and saw a funeral procession coming their way.

"Oh no, it's that poor girl from the village." Vincent said softly as the priest led the way, his cross raised before him. They stood aside respectfully as the coffin was carried past, with a bouquet of sunflowers on it. The mother and father followed solemnly behind along with the rest of the family.

"You do have a plan, don't you?" Amy glanced over to the Doctor.

"No." Stella said bluntly. "He has a thing."

"It's like a plan, but with more greatness." The Doctor added confidently.

-0-

They soon came upon the church and Vincent wasted no time in setting up his easel, paints, and chair. He sat before his easel and readied his paints making the right colors while the Doctor hovered.

"And you'll be sure to tell me if you see any, you know, monsters." The Doctor said patting Vincent on the shoulders.

"Yes." Vincent nodded his head as he looked to the Doctor. "While I may be mad, I'm not stupid."

"No. Quite. And, to be honest, I'm not sure about mad either." The Doctor kneeled down so he was level with where Vincent was sitting. "It seems to me depression is a very complex…

"Shush." Vincent cut him off. "I'm working."

"Well, yes. Paint. Do painting!" The Doctor backed off and was quiet for a few seconds, a personal record, then started to speak again. "I remember watching Michelangelo painting the Sistine Chapel. Wow! What a whinger. I kept saying to him, look, if you're scared of heights, you shouldn't have taken the job then."

"Shush." Amy snapped, but that didn't stop the Doctor for long.

"And Picasso, you remember him Stella? What a ghastly old goat. I kept telling him, concentrate, Pablo. It's one eye, either side of the face." The Doctor ranted on, only stopping when Stella placed her fingers against his lips.

"You know how I get when I was composing?" Stella questioned and the Doctor nodded. "And what happens when I'm interrupted?" The Doctor's eyes widen, his brows shooting up as he nods again. "Quiet."

Stella had led the Doctor over to a nice place to sit overlooking the bank of windows in the church that Vincent was painting. An owl hooted softly and a soft breeze stirred the trees adding to the ambiance of the beautiful night. The picture was almost finished by this time, Vincent having abandoned his seat to stand giving him a better angle to paint with. Stella was staring intently at the window as she sat on the ground singing softly under her breath.

"You're singing again." The Doctor commented softly, leaning down so his lips brushed against her ear.

"Yes, well, that talk with Vincent went both ways." Stella smiled slightly, loving the warm shiver that went down her back. "I'm starting to…heal, I think…I hope."

"I'm glad." The Doctor pulled her close pressing a kiss to the top of her head. More time passed as the Doctor and Stella stayed in each other's arms. "Is this how time normally passes? Really slowly. In the right order." The Doctor complained then rocked to his feet pulling a grumbling Stella with him. She had been nodding off on his shoulder. "If there's one thing I can't stand, it's an unpunctual alien attack."

"Are you okay? You seem a bit, if I didn't know you better, I'd say nervous." Amy commented as she and the Doctor stepped away from Vincent, Stella walking over to the painter watching him work.

"Yes, there's something not right and I can't quite put my finger on it." His eyes moved over to where Stella was watching Vincent paint; humming softly as she did, it was the first promising sign he had seen in a while, her soft singing and humming. A hopeful smile played along his lips and the warm feeling that he always got with Stella filled his hearts. Amy looked from him to Stella, a smile on her lips as well.

"You really love her, I mean I know you love her, but…you really competently love her." Amy said wistfully, a tug that she couldn't understand pulling at her heart.

"She's got a heavy heart, a messy soul, a reckless mind, and I think it's beautiful the way she carries herself." The Doctor replied, quoting Sean Bates

"I wish I knew what that kind of love felt like." Amy sighed, and felt like she had at one time, but lost the feeling almost as soon as she had gotten it leaving her feeling strangely numb.

The Doctor looked over to her, his eyes sad as they moved back to Stella who was looking up at him. Her brows were knit in concern and the Doctor tilted his head toward Amy, Stella nodding softly. Stella felt a pang of guilt, one she had felt often before. It was another reason she had been distancing herself from Amy, if she had reacted faster, hadn't frozen in fear, Rory would be alive.

"There." Vincent said interrupting all of their thoughts, pointing with his paint brush. "He's at the window."

"Where?" The Doctor questioned looking for a sign of the creature.

"There, on the right." Stella replied grimly.

"As I thought. I'm going in with Stella." The Doctor started forwards pulling Stella along with him.

"Well I'm coming too." Vincent said.

"No!" The Doctor whirled around holding out his hand. "You're Vincent Van Gogh. No."

"But you're not armed." Vincent pointed out.

"I am." The Doctor replied.

"What with?" Vincent asked.

"Overconfidence, this…" He held up his suitcase in his free hand. "…a small screwdriver, and my fiancé." The Doctor held up his screwdriver at the same time holding up Stella's hand entwined with his. "I'm absolutely sorted. Just have to find the right crosactic setting and stun him with it. Sonic never fails."

"Unless it's wood or deadlocked." Stella pointed out causing the Doctor to pout.

"Anyway, Amy, only one thought, one simple instruction." The Doctor walked straight up to her. "Don't follow us under any circumstances."

"I won't." Amy nodded forcing herself to stay serious as Stella gave her a disbelieving look over the Doctor's shoulder. The Doctor smiled gesturing to Vincent to watch Amy and pulled Stella along toward the church leaving the others behind.

"Will you follow them?" Vincent asked as soon as they were out of ear shot.

"Of course." Amy replied.

"I love you." Vincent gazed at her.

Stella gazed up at the church porch which was decorated with St Michael slaying the dragon. The Doctor got out the gizmo and put it on before going inside keeping Stella's hand securely in his. They could hear the Krafayis, but it couldn't be seen by the Doctor so Stella pointed him in the right direction. The Doctor scanned the area with the sonic screwdriver then used his gizmo to look for the creature.

"It's not here." Stella muttered as she scanned around the room.

"What do you mean not here?" The Doctor asked, his voice a higher pitch.

"I mean the creature that we are looking for is not in the vicinity of the two of us…oh crud!" Stella spotted the heat signature of the beast. "Doctor, look out!"

She grabbed the Doctor to pull him out of the way, but the Krafayis was faster and managed to smash into the Doctor and Stella sending them to the ground, breaking the mirror on the gizmo rendering it useless. Stella recovered quickly pulling the Doctor up and they ran for the door, the Doctor sonicing as they went.

"Stella! Doctor!" Amy called out as she ran through the door.

"Argh!" The Doctor shouted out in startled fright. "I thought I told you…."

"And you thought she'd listen?" Stella rolled her eyes.

"Never mind. We'll talk about it later. Quick, in here." The Doctor pushed Amy into one part of the confessional while he and Stella crammed into the other. The Doctor pulled her onto his lap wrapping his arms around her holding her close. "Absolutely quiet." The Doctor whispered moving the curtain aside to look outside the confessional while Stella opened the little door between confessionals. "Can you breathe a little quieter, please?"

"No." Amy replied looking out the window on her side. "He's gone past."

"Shush." The Doctor hushed her right before the beast smashed Amy's side of the confessional causing her to scream.

"I think he heard us." Stella commented before it attacked the other side.

"That is impressive hearing he's got." The Doctor panicked as the confessional started to shake.

"What's less impressive are our chances of survival." Stella ground out getting ready to go on the offensive, but was beat to it.

"Hey! Are you looking for me, sonny?" Vincent called out. "Come on, over here. Because I'm right here waiting for you." Vincent fended off the Krafayis with a chair allowing the others time to get out of the confessionals. "Come on. Quickly. Get behind me."

"Doing anything?" The Doctor tried his sonic screwdriver.

"Uh uh." Vincent replied as they ran again.

"Where is he?" The Doctor questioned as they were forced outside into the courtyard.

"Where do you think he is, you idiot? Use your head." Vincent snapped.

"Anything?" The Doctor asked activating his sonic again.

"Nothing. In fact, he seemed to rather enjoy it." Vincent replied.

"Ooo." The Doctor frowned.

"Duck!" The Doctor ducked under the swipe of a clawed hand. "Left." Stella called out urgently only for the Doctor to get thrown against a wall. "Doctor! Oh, I'm so sorry love." Stella ran over helping him up. "Your right, my left."

"This is no good at all. Run like crazy and regroup." The Doctor ordered.

"Oh, come on, in here." Amy called out as they all ran ducking into another room of the church, then tried to force the door closed, but the Krafayis jammed its foot in the door to stop them closing it.

"Sorry about this." Stella stamped hard on the Krafayis's foot causing it to move back with a sharp howl of pain and allowing them to close the door.

"Right. Okay. Here's the plan. Stella, Amy, Rory…" The Doctor started only for Amy to cut him off.

"Who?" Amy asked.

"Sorry. Er…" The Doctor stuttered after his blunder.

"Vincent." Stella supplied as she braced herself against the door, holding it closed against the onslaught of the monster.

"Right, Vincent." The Doctor said quickly.

"What is the plan?" Amy asked.

"I don't know, actually. My only definite plan is that in future I'm definitely just using this screwdriver for screwing in screws." The Doctor said in frustration as he tucked his sonic away as the creature rammed against the door.

"Give me a second. I'll be back." Vincent rushed away.

"I suppose we could try talking to him." The Doctor suggested as the door shook violently.

"Talking to him?" Amy echoed skeptically.

"Well, yes. Might be interesting to know his side of the story." The Doctor pointed out.

"Though maybe he's not really in the mood for conversation right at this precise moment." Stella commented as the beast hammered on the door. Stella pressed herself harder against it holding it close though it did nothing to strengthen the old wood which was starting to splinter.

"Well, no harm trying." The Doctor said pressing against the door. "Listen. Listen! I know you can understand me, even though I know you won't understand why you can understand me." The Doctor called out, and things went eerily silent on the other side of the door. "I also know that no one's talked to you for a pretty long stretch, but please, listen. I also don't belong on this planet. If you trust me, I'm sure we can come to some kind of, you know, understanding. And then, and then, who knows?"

"Love, I don't think he's there anymore, it's too quiet." Stella commented as she pressed her ear against the door. Suddenly a window was broken in sending shattered glass all over the floor, and allowing the invisible beast to enter.

"I think you're right." The Doctor yelped.

"Stay behind me." Stella ordered as she faced off against the beast and before the Doctor could stop her she launched herself at the creature.

She grabbed hold of it round the neck planting her feet much like a person trying to wrestle a bull to the ground. It was a horrific sight to behold by the others, Stella seemingly fighting nothing, but the effects were there, her being lifted into the air combined with the noise of the fight itself. She grabbed hold of its jaw and twisting it with her body tried to flip it onto its back, but it was stronger than she had anticipated.

It snapped its head around flinging her from side to side as she held on with all her might. It started to buck wildly and she could hear the others calling out to her in panic. The beast reared up violently finally sending Stella off of it into the air hitting the stone ground with a painful thud.

It started toward her general direction letting out low menacing sounds as it clumsily searched her out. The Doctor ran over to her pulling Stela into his arms, unable to see how close the creature was getting to them.

"That was extremely foolish." The Doctor snapped at her, unwittingly giving away their location to the beast.

"El Toro De Hechos wasn't just painted of me for the heck of it, I thought I could take him." Stella shook her head trying to get it to settle, then her head snapped up eyes wide finding herself almost face to face with the creature. "Crud."

"It's right in front of us isn't it?" The Doctor said stiffly.

"Yes." Stella squeaked out as it readied to attack.

"Over here, mate!" Vincent called out before the creature struck, leading it away from the Doctor and Stella, allowing him to pull her behind a stone monument with Amy. Vincent held up his easel, brandishing it with its three pointed feet forwards.

"What's it up to now?" The Doctor questioned.

"It's moving round the room." Vincent answered glancing round either side of the pillar he was behind. "Feeling its way around.

"What?" The Doctor asked as he and Vincent switched spots.

"It's like it's trapped. It's moving round the edges of the room." Stella mumbled, her brows knit in confusion.

"I can't see a thing." Amy grumbled.

"I am really stupid." The Doctor said in realization.

"Oh, get a grip! This is not a moment to re-evaluate your self-esteem." Amy snapped.

"No, I am really stupid, and I'm growing old." The Doctor grumbled. Why does it attack but never eat its victims? And why was it abandoned by its pack and left here to die? And why is it feeling its way helplessly around the walls of the room?"

"It can't see. It's blind." Stella said in realization.

"Yes, and that explains why it has such perfect hearing!" The Doctor ended up shouting the last part.

"Which unfortunately also explains why it is now turning around and heading straight for us." Vincent informed them.

"Vincent, Stella, what's happening?" The Doctor questioned.

"It's charging now." Stella called out.

"Get back. Get back!" Vincent yelled as he held up in easel. The Krafayis roared and Vincent charged back at it. The beast skewered itself on the easel and raised Vincent into the air flinging him around before falling to the floor, mortally wounded. Slowly they all gathered around the dying creature as it moaned in pain. "He wasn't without mercy at all. He was without sight. I didn't mean that to happen. I only meant to wound it, I never meant to…"

"He's trying to say something." The Doctor said softly.

"What is it?" Vincent asked as Stella kneeled down placing the creatures head onto her lap as she gently stroked the top of his head.

"He's saying, I'm afraid. I'm afraid." Stella said softly, tears streaming down her face. "There, there. Shush, shush. It's okay, it's okay. You'll be fine. Shush." The Krafayis nuzzled into her comfort before letting out one last breath before going still. Stella bowed her head resting it against the head of the creature. "I'm so sorry."

"He was frightened, and he lashed out." Vincent frowned in guilt. "Like humans who lash out when they're frightened. Like the villagers who scream at me. Like the children who throw stones at me."

"Sometimes winning, winning is no fun at all." The Doctor said as he kneeled down next to Stella wrapping his arms around her allowing her to cry into his shoulder.

-0-

The Doctor, Amy, Stella, and Vincent van Gogh lay on the ground and looked up at the night sky.

"Hold my hand, Doctor." Vincent to the hand of the Doctor and Amy's while Stella reached out taking hold of the free hands of the Doctor and Amy. "Try to see what I see. We are so lucky we are still alive to see this beautiful world. Look at the sky. It's not dark and black and without character. The black is in fact deep blue." Vincent pointed out and the colors started to take on the likeness of Starry Starry Night. "And over there, lighter blue. And blowing through the blueness and the blackness, the wind swirling through the air and then, shining, burning, bursting through, the stars. Can you see how they roar their light? Everywhere we look, the complex magic of nature blazes before our eyes."

"I've seen many things, my friend. But you're right. Nothing quite as wonderful as the things you see." The Doctor said.

"I will miss you terribly." Vincent said sadly.

"We will miss you as well." Stella replied.

-0-

"I only wish I had something of real value to give you." Vincent said as the Doctor and Amy starred down at Self-portrait in a Straw Hat.

"Oh, no, no, no." The Doctor said as he handed it back to its creator. "I could never accept such an extraordinary gift."

"Very well." Vincent took it back with a sigh. "You're not the first to decline the offer." Vincent placed the picture aside before beaming at Amy. "Amy, the blessed, the wonderful."

"Be good to yourself, and be kind to yourself." Amy hugged him tight.

"I'll try my best." Vincent smiled softly.

"And maybe give the beard a little trim before you next kiss someone." Amy rubbed her cheek.

"I will, I will." Vincent chuckled. "And if you tire of this Doctor of yours, return, and we will have children by the dozen."

"Eek." Amy squeaked.

"Doctor, my friend. We have fought monsters together and we have won. On my own, I fear I may not do as well." Vincent frowned.

"Maybe this will help." Stella said holding out a gold watch hanging from a gold chain.

"What's this?" Vincent asked taking it gently from her hands.

"Open it." Stella told him and Vincent does so. 'How can I keep from singing?' started to play on the music box inside the watch which was visible through the glass on the back of the watch face. The golden lid depicted a swirling sun in gold while engraved on the inside were the words.

 _How can I keep from singing?_

 _How can I keep from painting?_

"When did you do this?" Vincent asked softly.

"While the Doctor was taking care of the Krayfis, I needed a moment and making this helped." Stella shrugged. "Whenever you feel sad or lonely play this and know that you are not alone even if we are not right there beside you we are with you."

"Thank you, I will treasure it." Vincent hugs her tightly. "You are not alone either Stella, confide in your friends, in your Doctor, let them help you through your pain, do not bury it."

"I'll try to take your advice my friend." Stella tightened her hold before releasing him. "Take care."

After one final round of goodbyes the time travelers headed down the stairs and back out into the yard, the Doctor pausing in thought.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" The Doctor looked to Amy and Stella.

"I was thinking I may need some food or something before we leave." Amy frowned as he stomach grumbled.

"Well, no, you're not thinking exactly what I'm thinking." The Doctor muttered.

"Food does sound good." Stella commented causing the Doctor to smile brightly at her first show of an appetite. "Can we get some after we do the thing you're thinking about?"

"We can get some food while we're doing my idea." The Doctor took her hands in his before looking back up at Vincent's home. "Vincent! I've got something I'd like to show you." Vincent hung out of the window eyeing him, a towel wrapped around his neck. "Maybe just tidy yourself up a bit first."

-0-

The Tardis had been covered in advertising posters from top to bottom, wrapping it up like a gift.

"Now, you know we've had quite a few chats about the possibility there might be more to life than normal people imagine?" The Doctor asked Vincent.

"Yes." Vincent nodded.

"Well, brace yourself, Vinny." The Doctor split the paper covering the Tardis with the key then opened up the magnificent blue box. Vincent followed them inside, his mouth wide in awe. He quickly stepped back outside, walked around it in shock before going back inside again.

"How come I'm the crazy one, and you three have stayed sane?" Vincent questioned.

"Who said we were sane? Certainly not anyone who knows us." Stella replied as Vincent came up to the console.

"What do these things all do?" Vincent asked.

"Oh, a huge variety of things." The Doctor said.

"This one here, for instance, plays soothing music." Stella said as music filled the room and she danced around the console pulling Amy into the dance.

"While this one makes a huge amount of noise. And this one makes everything go absolutely tonto." The Doctor pulled a lever and the Tardis jerked into flight causing them to stumble around.

"And this one?" Vincent held onto the console.

"That's a friction contrafibulator!" Stella called out over the noise.

"And this?" Vincent asked.

"That's ketchup. And that one's mustard." The Doctor pointed to each one.

"Mmm, nice." Vincent nodded as the Tardis settled. "Come on, back to the cafe and you can tell me about all the wonders of the universe.

"Good idea." The Doctor nodded as the moved to the doors. "Although, actually, there's a little something I'd like to show you first."

"Where are we?" Vincent asked as they stepped out pf the Tardis, the time flight having burned the posters off the Tardis.

"Paris, 2010 AD. And this is the mighty Museé D'Orsay, home to many of the greatest paintings in history." The Doctor gestured toward the gran building.

"Oh, that's wonderful." Vincent's attention was taken by two lads walking past listening to a radio.

"Ignore that." Stella looped her arm through his, Amy taking his other arm, and steered him toward the building. "We've got something more important to show you."

-0-

They quickly made their way through the museum, having to pull Vincent away from some of the other works held there, and soon came into the van Gogh exhibition. It was crowded with people looking from painting to painting taking in all of the wonder, looking through Vincent's eyes, seeing the world as he did. The Doctor quickly moved over to Black who was talking to a small group of people.

"Doctor Black, we met a few days ago. I asked you about the church at Auvers." The Doctor gained Black's attention.

"Oh, yes. Glad to be of help. You were nice about my tie." Black recognized the Doctor.

"Yes. And today is another cracker if I may say so." The Doctor grinned while Stella and Amy made sure that Vincent was close by, but facing away from Black. "But I just wondered, between you and me, in a hundred words, where do you think Van Gogh rates in the history of art?"

"Well, big question, but to me, Van Gogh is the finest painter of them all." Black said with a reverent look. "Certainly, the most popular great painter of all time. The most beloved. His command of color, the most magnificent. He transformed the pain of his tormented life into ecstatic beauty. Pain is easy to portray, but to use your passion and pain to portray the ecstasy and joy and magnificence of our world." Black said, his eyes filled with wonder. "No one had ever done it before. Perhaps no one ever will again. To my mind, that strange, wild man who roamed the fields of Provence was not only the world's greatest artist, but also one of the greatest men who ever lived."

"Vincent." The Doctor said in worry when he saw Vincent had begun to cry. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

"Is it too much?" Stella gently placed a hand on his arm.

"No. They are tears of joy." Vincent patted her hand before turning to Black kissing him on both cheeks before hugging him. "Thank you, sir. Thank you."

"You're welcome." Black said in confusion as to the man's reaction to his words. "You're welcome."

"Sorry about the beard." Vincent apologized before they all left. Black took a few steps, stops, turned back to their retreating forms, the likeness was amazing, but no, it was impossible, wasn't it…then he mouthed no and went back to the tours.

-0-

"This changes everything." Vincent said as he came out of the Tardis, once again home. "I'll step out tomorrow with my easel on my back a different man. I still can't believe that one of the haystacks was in the museum." Vincent laughed joyfully. "How embarrassing."

"It's been a great adventure and a great honor." The Doctor smiled as they hugged.

"You've turned out to be the first Doctor ever actually to make a difference to my life." Vincent smiled brightly.

"I'm delighted." The Doctor nodded with a beaming smile.

"Stella, thank you for your understanding, it has been a great help." Vincent pulled her into a hug.

"You have helped me as well my dear friend, we won't ever forget you." Stella tightened her hold before stepping back, Vincent giving her one last smile.

"And you are sure marriage is out of the question?" Vincent looked to Amy.

"This time. I'm not really the marrying kind." Amy said hugging and kissing his cheek then they all went their ways, the time travelers back to their Tardis and Vincent back to his painting. "Come on. Let's go back to the gallery right now." They landed and Amy rushed out with the others. "Time can be re-written. I know it can. Come on!" Amy raced back into the museum pulling Stella along with her, the Doctor rushing after them. "Oh, the long life of Vincent Van Gogh. There'll be hundreds of new paintings."

"I'm not sure there will." The Doctor frowned.

"Come on!" Amy paid him no mind, coming to a stop in the middle of the exhibit only to find nothing had changed.

"We have here the last work of Vincent Van Gogh, who committed suicide at only thirty seven." Black lectured. "He is now acknowledged to be one of the foremost artists of all time. If you follow me now."

"So you were right. No new paintings. We didn't make a difference at all." Amy frowned in sadness.

"I wouldn't say that. The way I see it, every life is a pile of good things and bad things. Hey. The good things don't always soften the bad things, but vice versa, the bad things don't necessarily spoil the good things or make them unimportant." The Doctor and Stella pulled Amy into a tight hug. "And we definitely added to his pile of good things." They guided her over to the painting for the church. "And, if you look carefully, maybe we did indeed make a couple of little changes."

"No Krafayis." Amy smiled slightly.

"No Krafayis." Stella nodded then Amy's attention was taken. She walked over to the Still Life with Twelve Sunflowers and written on the vase was 'For Amy, Vincent'.

"That one's new." Amy looked to a new small painting a little bigger than a post card. It depicted a gold music box watch sitting on a dark wooden surface with light causing a shadow to be cast from it simply called 'Together'. It was open revealing the watch face, but the lid was angled away so the lyrics were unseen but the engraved pattern was. Stella smiled softly at the painting feeling her hearts warm, happy that she had brought him some comfort. "If we had got married, our kids would have had very, very red hair."

"The ultimate ginger." The Doctor nodded.

"The ultimate ginge." Amy smiled.

"Brighter than sunflowers." Stella added, her hand going to the crown that still adorned her head.


	11. Chapter 11

The Tardis materialized in a small park across the road from groups of terraced houses. It was a mild day and the park they were in seemed to be empty at the time. The Doctor poked his head out first with Stella right behind him standing on her tip toes trying to see over his shoulder, she had to give up and ended up looking out from under his arm.

"No, Amy, it's definitely not the fifth moon of Cindie Colesta." The Doctor called into the Tardis.

"I think I can see a Ryman's." Stella commented as she sucked on a lollipop, her head cocking to the side.

She had been doing a lot better since the Silurians thanks to their time with Vincent, though she was not completely out of the woods. The nightmares were still there, lurking on the edges of her mind, but now she was opening up to the Doctor. When she had a night terror, she would go to the Doctor, it had gotten to the point that she just stayed with the Doctor when she slept.

She had also reconnected with Amy, spending more time with the Scotswoman. That's when she had started to notice the little moments, the moments when Amy would fall silent and her eyes would lose focus becoming sad then she'd snap out of it. Stella knew that in these brief periods of time, in the back of her mind, Rory was there. After Amy would space out a come to she'd sometimes catch Stella wiping away a tear from her own eye, but never mentioned it no wanting to bring up any bad memories Stella might have been going through.

For the Doctor and Amy, the thing that made them the happiest was that Stella had started to return to her music, though she didn't throw herself into like she had before, splitting her time between her music and tinkering in one of the workshops of the Tardis. She spent a great deal of time in there and had yet to let the Doctor or Amy see what she was working on.

Suddenly there was an explosion, throwing the Doctor and Stella to the ground, and the Tardis dematerialized before them.

"Amy! Amy!" The Doctor called out as he and Stella rushed to their feet. The Tardis was shaking, and there was a shower of sparks nearby Amy who was clinging to the Tardis trying to hold on.

"Doctor? Stella? It's saying we're on Earth. Essex, Colchester." Amy called out then the shaking stopped. She peeked around the console when she found it to be too quiet. "Doctor? Stella? It's taking off again. Can you hear me?"

"Amy!" The Doctor called out one more time. "Amy."

"Now what?" Stella breathed out.

-0-

The Doctor and Stella walked down the street hand in hand as they talked over their situation. The wind pulled at Stella's flowing strapless crème colored empire waist sweetheart top dress with a pink rose design on it, on her feet were a pair of soft brown leather flip flops with pink beads, and her hair was in a low messy bun decorated with pink roses along the right side of the bun.

"Well first things first, we need to find a place to live." Stella commented.

"Right, I can do that." The Doctor grinned as he pulled her along, but then stopped short. "How do I do that?"

"We look in the want ads my love." Stella said with a small laugh as she pulled him over to a stand of papers. The Doctor scanned them, but then took notice of a piece of paper attached to the window and snatched it.

"Amy's hand writing." The Doctor said showing it to Stella. "Says we should go to the flat of a man named Craig. She wrote down an address and everything."

"One bedroom available with a shared bath, kitchen, and communal area, sounds lovely, but we'll need some rent money." Stella said as she picked up the paper the note had indicated.

"Right, wait here, I'll be right back with some money." The Doctor said as he jogged off.

Stella had mixed feelings about letting him go to get money on his own, but she couldn't watch him all the time. She was also still nervous about being on her own though as well. Although their time with Vincent and since then had helped her start to feel a bit better she still had trouble relaxing completely. She glanced around herself rubbing her arms in a nervous manner eyeing the people around her before she decided to take a seat on a nearby park bench.

She started to feel pleasantly warm as the sun shone down and tilted her head back with her eyes closed as she soaked up the sun light. Suddenly her lollipop was taken from her mouth then a pair of lips gently brushed against hers causing her eyes to pop open before sliding shut once again, softly kissing the Doctor back making him hum happily before they parted.

"Mmm banana." The Doctor licked his lips having tasted Stella's lollipop from her lips. "My favorite."

"I know." Stella smiled snatching her lollipop back. "What took you so long?"

"I wasn't gone that long." The Doctor replied pulling her to her feet with one hand, the other hand clutching a brown paper bag she assumed held the money they'd need.

"Long enough." Stella replied kissing his cheek making him grin. He knew that Stella was still on edge and wasn't big on being on her own outside of the Tardis. He wrapped his arm around her pulling her to his side causing her to smile as she nuzzled up against him sighing in comfort as the safe feeling he provided her with filled up her hearts.

"Come along Stella my sweet." The Doctor said as they made their way toward Craig's place.

"What's that in your ear?" Stella asked noticing the Bluetooth like device.

"Just something so we can contact Amy, but we'll have to wait until we're more secure." The Doctor replied. They soon found it and skipped up the steps knocking on the front door which was soon opened by whom they assumed was Craig.

"I love you." Craig said before he focused in on who was at the door, his face going red with embarrassment.

"Oh…how sweet." Stella said in surprise.

"Well, that's good, because we're your new lodgers." The Doctor smiled before looking to Stella. "Do you know, this is going to be easier than I expected."

"Neat." Stella said with a grin as the Doctor took the fluffy pink keys that Craig had in his hand.

"But I only put the advert up today. I didn't put my address." Craig said glancing between the couple.

"Well, aren't you lucky we came along? More lucky than you know." The Doctor said with a smile, his eyes glancing up at the second story door. "Less of a young professional, more of an ancient amateur, but frankly my fiancé here is an absolute dream."

"It's true." Stella beamed.

"Hang on a minute, mate. I don't know if I want you two staying." Craig replied then snatched the keys back. "And give me back those keys. You can't have those."

"Yes, quite right. Have some rent." The Doctor handed Craig the paper take-away bag with lots of twenty pound notes in it making Stella's eyes widen and flash to the Doctor who silently promised to explain later. "That's probably quite a lot, isn't it? Looks like a lot. Is it a lot? I can never tell." They walked past Craig into the hallway, the lights upstairs flickered catching their attention. "Don't spend it all on sweets, unless you like sweets. I like sweets."

"I love sweets." Stella smiled a swirled her lollipop around in her mouth.

"Ooo." The Doctor gave Craig a couple of air kisses about six inches from each cheek. "That's how we greet each other nowadays, isn't it? This is my lovely fiancé Stella Quinn and I'm the Doctor. Well, they call me the Doctor. I don't know why. I call me the Doctor and Stella calls me that too. Still don't know why."

"Because you make everything better." Stella replied easily. The Doctor smiled kissing her on the cheek.

"Craig Owens." Craig introduced himself. "The Doctor?"

"Yep. Who lives upstairs?" The Doctor asked looking upstairs.

"Just some bloke." Craig shrugged.

"What's he look like?" Stella asked becoming tense, the Doctor calming her down by rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb.

"Normal. He's very quiet." Craig said right before a crash came from upstairs making Stella startle slightly. "Usually."

Craig looked from the upper floor only to see the Doctor and Stella had wondered off into the flat.

"Stella…" The Doctor gently took her hands in his.

"I'm fine, really." Stella said with a small smile.

"You sure?" The Doctor rubbed her hand comfortingly.

"Positive." Stella stood on her tip toes kissing his cheek as Craig rushed in after them.

"Sorry, who are you again?" Craig asked as they started to take in their surroundings, not answering the frustrated man. "Hello? Excuse me?"

"Ah. I suppose that's dry rot?" The Doctor said as he and Stella looked up at the dark stain on the ceiling in the corner of the living room.

"Or damp. Or mildew." Craig shrugged.

"Or just really gross." Stella scrunched up her nose.

"Or none of the above, well except for the gross part, that is gross." The Doctor said with an exaggerated disgusted look.

"I'll get someone to fix it." Craig said.

"No, I'll fix it. I'm good at fixing rot. Call me the Rotmeister." The Doctor said making Stella laugh. "No, I'm the Doctor, don't call me the Rotmeister. This is the most beautiful parlor I have ever seen. You're obviously a man of impeccable taste. We can stay, Craig, can't we? Say we can."

"You haven't even seen the room." Craig told them.

"The room?" The Doctor questioned.

"Your room." Craig said.

"Our room? Oh, yes. Our room. Our room. Take us to our room." The Doctor wiggled his eyebrows at Stella making her roll her eyes with a blush as she bit her lower lips trying to hide her smile unsuccessfully. Craig walked over to and opened the door for them showing them the room that had a sort of eighties feel to it.

"Yeah, this is Mark's old room. He owns the place." Craig told them. "Moved out about a month ago. This uncle he'd never even heard of died and left a load of money in the will."

"How very convenient." The Doctor commented. "This'll do just right. In fact." Another loud crash resounded from above. The Doctor stuck his finger into his mouth pulling it out and testing the air with it. "No time to lose. I'll take it. Ah you'll want to see my credentials. There." The Doctor passed psychic paper behind his back sowing it to Craig three times. "National Insurance number. NHS number. References."

"Is that a reference from the Archbishop of Canterbury?" Craig asked, his eyes wide.

"We're his special favorites." The Doctor replied, putting a finger to his lips. "Are you hungry? I'm hungry."

"Me too." Stella said following the Doctor back out into the kitchen.

"I haven't got anything in." Craig said right behind them.

"You've got everything I need for an omelet fines herbs, pour deux." The Doctor said going through the fridge pulling out the ingredient before grabbing the pan and a spatula.

"You sure you don't want me to cook?" Stella asked as he popped up sitting on the counter.

"No, no, I've got it covered." The Doctor said quickly.

"I'm not that bad." Stella said with a pout, but the Doctor pecked her on the cheek making her smile again. Stella looked around the kitchen taking notice of a photograph of Craig and Sophie, next to a Vincent van Gogh Self-portrait in Straw Hat postcard. "So, who's the girl on the fridge?"

"My friend. Sophie." Craig replied with a smile.

"Oooo! A girlfriend?" Stella asked leaning forward in interest.

"A friend who is a girl. There's nothing going on." Craig shook his head with a blush.

"Oh, that's completely normal. Works for me." The Doctor said as he cooked, mixing the ingredients with a wooden spoon.

"We met at work about a year ago, at the call center." Craig smiled in remembrance.

"Oh really, a communications exchange?" The Doctor exchanged a look with Stella.

"That could be handy." Stella nodded as the Doctor went back to the fridge taking out a bottle, squirting the contents into the pan and mixing it together.

"Firm's going down though. The bosses are using a totally rubbish business model. I know what they should do. I got a plan all worked out." Craig went on telling them everything. "But I'm just a phone drone, I can't go running in saying I know best." He started to catch onto what he was doing. "Why am I telling you this? I don't even know either of you."

"Well, we've just got those faces. People never stop blurting out their plans while we're around." The Doctor shrugged as Stella nodded.

"Right. Where's your stuff?" Craig asked.

"Oh, don't worry, it'll materialize. If all goes to plan." The Doctor replied as Stella went through the cabinets until she found some plates then located the forks. The Doctor dished out the food which they took to the living room to eat.

"Oh, that was incredible. That was absolutely brilliant." Craig said finishing up his meal, setting aside his plate.

"Well I didn't just fall in love with him because of his good looks." Stella commented with a bright smile making him grin as he adjusted his bow tie smugly. She took up the plates placing them on the kitchen counter before walking back over to the men, the Doctor pulling her into his lap pecking the side of her neck making her giggle.

"Where did you learn to cook?" Craig asked.

"Paris, in the eighteenth century." The Doctor said then noticed Stella pointing up. "No, hang on, that's not recent, is it? Seventeenth?" Stella shook her head and continued to point up as Craig eyed them. "No, no, no. Twentieth." Stella nodded giving him a thumbs up. "Sorry, I'm not used to doing them in the right order."

"Has anyone ever told you that you're a bit weird?" Craig said looking between them.

"They never really stop." The Doctor replied.

"Ever been to Paris, Craig?" Stella asked leaning back into the Doctor.

"Nah. I can't see the point of Paris. I'm not much of a traveler." Craig said shaking his head and in his hand he held the keys with the pink key chain, running his thumb over the fuzzy pink key chain.

"I can tell from your sofa." The Doctor said as he eyed him.

"My sofa?" Craig echoed looking down at the couch he was sitting upon.

"You're starting to look like it." The Doctor went on.

"Thanks, mate, that's lovely." Craig scoffed, good naturedly. "No, I like it here. I'd miss it, I'd miss…"

"Those keys." Stella supplied when he trailed off.

"What?" Craig looked down at the keys.

"You're sort of fondling them." The Doctor pointed out.

"I'm holding them." Craig defended himself, setting the keys on the arm of the chair and got up to his feet

"Right." The Doctor as Stella nodded, both disbelieving his statement.

"Anyway." Craig went on, Stella and the Doctor following, and went over to a hall table taking out another set of keys holding it out to them. "These, these are your keys."

"We can stay?" The Doctor grinned taking the keys.

"Yeah, you're weird and you can cook. It's good enough for me." Craig said and showed them what each key was to. "Right. Outdoor, front door, your door."

"Our door. Our place. Our gaff." The Doctor wrapped his arms around Stella, pulling her to his chest and resting his chin on her shoulder. Stella felt her face flush as his warm breath tickled her sensitive ear, her hands resting over his which lay over her stomach. "Ha ha! Yes." He kissed her just behind her ear. "You and me with a key."

"And listen, Mark and I, we had an arrangement where if you two ever need me out of your hair, just give me a shout, okay?" Craig gave him a none to subtle wink which of course went over the Doctor's head.

"Why would we want that?" The Doctor asked, adorably clueless.

"In case you and your girl want to…you know…." Craig looked from the Doctor to Stella, his face red, not knowing how to explain it to him.

"Just a moment Craig." Stella stood up on her tip-toes whispering into the Doctor's ear, his face going red as she explained as well as do to the fact she was letting her lips brush his ear and her warm breath fanning across his sensitive skin.

"Oh, I will." The Doctor stuttered out as his eyes widened. "I'll shout if that happens. Yes. Something like, I was not expecting this!" The Doctor said quickly then turned serious and gestured up to the spot. "By the way, that. The rot. I've got the strangest feeling we shouldn't touch it."

"Well with that being said, we're just going to get settled into our room, catch you later Craig." Stella smiled pulling the Doctor into their room closing and locking the door behind them.

-0-

The Doctor put in his Bluetooth like device before turning it on while Stella was laid back on the bed her hands behind her head as she watched him, another lollipop being twirled around in her mouth, the Doctor casting it glances out of the corner of his eye every few moments.

"Earth to Pond, Earth to Pond." The Doctor called out. "Come in, Pond."

"Doctor!" Amy said loudly causing massive feedback through the earpiece piercing the Doctor's ear drum. "Sorry."

"Could you not wreck my new earpiece, Pond?" The Doctor complained and while he was talking on the phone to Amy Craig was on his phone in his own room looking at the bank notes while he talked, explaining his new lodgers to Sophie.

"No, I mean, he seems a laugh and his fiancé is nice. They're both a bit weird. Good weird, you know?" Craig said as he laid back in his bed.

"And they just happen to have three grand on them in a paper bag?" Sophie asked.

"Yeah." Craig replied.

"Wait, wait. The Doctor?" Sophie asked, a thought coming to her. "Craig, what if he's a dealer? Or maybe a pimp and she's one of his girls?"

-0-

Outside the home where two separate conversations was going on a woman was walking along after a late night at a club.

"Hello. Stop, please. Can you hear me? I need your help." A man called through the comm next to the door gaining her attention. "Please. My little girl's hurt." The man pleaded and cautiously the woman went inside and saw a seemingly younger man is standing at the top of the stairs. "I'm so sorry, but will you help me? Please?"

"Help you?" The clubber questioned as she went up the stairs.

-0-

Stella had sat up in the bed cross legged, her elbows resting on her knees, and her hands propping up her head. She watched the Doctor as he moved around the room talking to Amy excitedly and wondered what linear future was going to throw at them. The Doctor had often said he did not do linear time very well, in fact she had seen the effect it had on him, so this was going to be a very interesting adventure.

"How's the Tardis coping?" The Doctor asked as he plopped down next to Stella causing her to bounce.

"See for yourself." Amy held out the hand set and the sounds of the Tardis drifted through it.

"Ooo, nasty. She's locked in a materialization loop, trying to land again, but she can't." Stella said with a wince.

"Hmm. And whatever's stopping her is upstairs in that flat. So, go upstairs and sort it." Amy demanded.

"We don't know what it is yet. Anything that can stop the Tardis from landing is big." The Doctor told her as he stood up on the bed looking up.

"Scary big." Stella added on laying back with her hands behind her head.

"Wait. Are you scared?" Amy asked while in Craig's room he was giving Sophie a rundown of his new lodger's appearances.

"A bow tie? Are you serious?" Sophie scoffed with a laugh.

"Be fair. Could be even…" The Doctor replied to Amy.

"Hang on a sec." Craig said as he got up out of the bed, hearing the Doctor in the other room.

"What? Craig." Sophie called out. "Craig?"

Craig leaned against the wall pressing his ear against it listening to the Doctor's voice coming through the wall.

"Orange juice. Neocene Arbuckle. Rare tarantula on the table. Oh." The Doctor's words were strange and jumbled causing Craig to pull a look.

"We can't go up there until we know what it is and how to deal with it." The Doctor went on, explaining to Amy what they were going to do.

"And it is vital that this man upstairs doesn't realize who and what we are." Stella added gripping onto the bed as the Doctor started to bounce on it. He started smiling as Stella bounced with him, shooting him a look when she almost fell off the bed.

"So no sonicking. No advanced technology. Stella is running on her most basic mode to get by. We can only use this because we're on scramble. To anyone else hearing this conversation, we're talking absolute gibberish." The Doctor jumped down from the bed and wondered around the room. Craig, on the other hand, heard this. "Practical eruption in chicken. Descartes Lombardy spiral." But what the Doctor was really saying was this. "Now all we've got to do is pass as an ordinary human couple. Simple. What could possibly go wrong?"

"Have you seen you?" Amy scoffed.

"So you're just going to be snide. No helpful hints?" The Doctor complained as he picked up some hair gel.

"Hmm. Well, here's one. Bow tie, get rid." Amy replied as the Doctor moved onto a pair of aviators and looked himself over in a mirror.

"Bow ties are cool." The Doctor replied adjusting his bow tie. "Come on, Amy, I'm a normal bloke. Tell me what normal blokes do."

"They watch telly, they play football. They go down the pub." Amy replied as Stella moved around in on the bed so that she was laying on her stomach. She propped her chin in her hands resting her elbows on the bed while she moved her legs up and down.

"I could do those things. I don't, but I could." The Doctor said picking up a book and flipping through it while Stella pulled a face.

"Sounds boring, but playing football might be fun." Stella commented when suddenly a bang came from upstairs and the Doctor dropped the book. Stella shot up to her knees on the bed in concern while the Doctor called out for Amy, the sounds of the Tardis and young girl in trouble coming over the comm.

"Hang on. Wait, wait, wait. Amy?" The Doctor called. Amy yelled as the Tardis went crazy, rocking violently, sparks filling the air. Looking over to the nightstand the hands on the alarm clock and on the Doctor's wrist watch were going backwards and forwards very rapidly. "Interesting."

"Localized time loop." Stella looked up at him.

"Ow." Amy groaned as she was flung about. "What's all that?"

"Time distortion. Whatever's happening upstairs is still affecting you." The Doctor replied as lights were flashing in the upstairs flat and the woman was screaming.

"It's stopped…ish." Amy told them as the Tardis seemed to calm down a bit. "How about your end?"

"My end's good." The Doctor replied.

"I'll say." Stella smirked causing the Doctor to go red in the face.

"Seriously Stella, I can hear you, you know." Amy complained.

"Sorry Amy." Stella said not sounding sorry at all.

"Yeah right…sure you are…" Amy rolled her eyes. "So doesn't sound great, but nothing to worry about?"

"No, no, no, not really. Just keep the zigzag plotter on full." Stella assured her.

"That'll protect you." The Doctor added.

"Ow." Amy snapped as the plotter did nothing for her situation.

"Amy, I said the zigzag plotter." Stella called out.

"I pulled the zigzag plotter." Amy snapped.

"What, you're standing with the door behind you?" The Doctor asked.

"Yes." Amy replied.

"Okay, take two steps to your right and pull it again." The Doctor told her and she did so pulling on the same switch causing everything to do silent. "Now, I must not use the sonic and Stella needs to lay low as well."

"We've got work to do. We need to pick up a few items." Stella said taking a small notebook from her pocket along with a pen and started to make a list.

The Doctor threw some items onto the bed before grabbing Stella and pulling her out of the flat in search of supply to help with their investigation. It was some time before they returned to the terrace with a shopping trolley full of miscellaneous items.

"Don't get comfortable." The Doctor looked up at the second floor before they quietly hurried inside the flat. That night they sat to work on their machine dragging the top mattress from the bed setting it up in a corner and building it on the box spring mattress. Toward morning they both cuddled up onto the bed in the corner falling into a comforting sleep.

-0-

Stella woke with a start staring around herself as if waiting for something to leap out at her. Her heart was racing at a feverish pace then glanced down at the Doctor who was sleeping. She wasn't surprised that he hadn't woke up, she had been having so many of these nightmares lately and he had stayed up every night just to bring her comfort, it must have caught up with him.

Slowly she moved off the bed making sure the Doctor was still covered up before moving out of the room into the living room. She walked over to the lazy boy and curled up, her arms wrapped around her legs bringing them up to her chest. Her chin lay on top of her knees as she starred off into nothing, trying to shift through the horrid visions then banish them.

She reached into the pocket of her robe and took out a hand sized black hoop that had five silver strings stretched across it called an Upupam. She strummed her fingers over it and the metal started to shimmer purple and green. It produced a sound much like a guitar, but with the vibrato of a violin. To play different chords one simply moved their fingers around the edges of the hoop while the other hand strummed.

 _I don't like walking around this old and empty house_

 _So hold my hand, I'll walk with you my dear_

 _The stairs creak as I sleep,_

 _It's keeping me awake_

 _It's the house telling you to close your eyes_

 _And some days I can't even trust myself_

 _It's killing me to see you this way_

 _'Cause though the truth may vary_

 _This ship will carry our bodies safe to shore…_

She was so wrapped up in her song that she didn't notice Craig stumbling into the room still half asleep. He stopped short hearing Stella singing, glancing around until his eyes fell on her sitting in the chair, illuminated by the moonlight streaming in through the windows behind her.

"That was fantastic." Craig said as soon as Stella completed the song making her jump and turn suddenly in the seat to face him. She berated herself for allowing someone to sneak up on her like that, her hand pressing against her racing hearts. "I've never heard that song before, is it one of yours?"

"Oh Craig, no, no, it's not mine, it belongs to a friend of mine. He wants to get it produced one day so keep it under your hat, yeah?" Stella explained quickly.

"Sure, of course." Craig nodded then gestured to the Upupam. "What's that?"

"Experimental instrument, that's what I do for a living, I make and test new musical instruments." Stella replied slipping her instrument into her pocket and changed the subject. "I didn't wake you did I? I thought I was being quiet enough."

"No, no you didn't wake me, I just got thirsty." Craig responded taking a bottle of water out of the fridge holding it up. "Couldn't sleep?"

"No, not really and I didn't want to wake up the Doctor, he hasn't been getting a lot of sleep in a long time." Stella said, feeling a pang of guilt.

"Oh." Craig nodded uncertainly, not sure if he should stay and talk some more or leave his new roommate to herself, but seeing her blood shot eyes he knew it was more than just a restless night keeping her up. "You need hot chocolate."

"What?" Stella looked confused at his sudden statement.

"Hot chocolate, my mum, whenever I was having a rough night or feeling down, she would make it for me." Craig shrugged as he gathered the items he needed and started to warm up some milk on the stove.

"You really don't have to do that." Stella smiled as she got up walking over to the kitchen.

"Nah, it's ok." Craig smiled as he made it from scratch surprising Stella who thought he would just make it from powder.

"Thanks Craig, this is really sweet of you." Stella sat down at one of the stools and Craig served out the hot chocolate pressing a mug into her hands. Stella smiled at the rush of warmth and inhaled the aroma deeply before taking a sip. "Delicious."

"Thanks." Craig drank some from his own mug as they chatted back and forth. "So how'd you two meet? You and the Doctor."

"Oh, it was at a fancy party to celebrate Earths history." Stella said with a smile recalling the first time she had met the Doctor face to face. The look he had given her when she had given him a mint after he had breathed on her had been priceless. "He was there with a friend of his and there was an incident at the party that caused a friendship to grow between us and over time it just became more."

"Was he always called the Doctor even when you first met? Is that even his real name?" Craig asked curiously.

"What's in a name?" Stella replied with a mischievous smile gaining a confused look from Craig who opened his mouth to further question Stella, but there was a rumpus in the room she shared with the Doctor then the door burst open and he stumbled out nearly falling over in his haste.

"Stella!" The Doctor's eyes fell on her in relief as he rushed over to her cupping her face in his hands as he angled it searching for anything that may be wrong. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine love, Craig and I were just having a delightful conversation and a cup of hot chocolate." Stella beamed taking the Doctor's hands in hers as he pressed a kiss onto her forehead.

"Well I'll just leave you two to it, I need to get back to bed, got work in the morning." Craig sat his mug into the sink and made his way to his room. "Night."

"Night." The couple replied, the Doctor not speaking until Craig closed the door behind him.

"Was it a nightmare?" The Doctor wrapped his arms around her from behind resting his chin on her shoulder.

"Yes." Stella said starring down at the chocolate drink.

"You should have woken me up." The Doctor said in concern.

"You've barely had any sleep since I started having these nightmares again. You needed your rest." Stella replied with a soft sigh as he nuzzled against her neck.

"So do you." The Doctor mumbled against her skin, his lips brushing against her causing her whole body to relax. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"It was the same Theta, always the same." Stella shivered violently, the Doctor tightening his arms around her in response.

"Come back to bed starlight." The Doctor said gently.

"Ok." Stella said as she stood placing her mug in the sink then giggling with a squeal as the Doctor scooped her up into his arms.

He took her back into their room and laid her down gently on the bed, laying down with her he hovered over her gently tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. His eyes took in her features as he cupped her cheek, neither speaking as they took each other in. The Doctor leaned down kissing the tip of her nose then remaining close so their noses were brushing. Stella smiled as she leaned up pressing a kiss to his lips making him grin. He laid down pulling Stella as she nuzzled against his chest between his hearts. The Doctor slowly ran his fingers through her hair lulling her to sleep making sure she was in a restful slumber before falling asleep as well.

-0-

Craig was waiting for the bathroom and had been doing so for quite a while. He listened in agitation as the Doctor sang to the tune of La Donna e Mobile recalling the night Stella had sang in the famous opera Rigoletto. She had been amazing as Gilda, singing beautiful arias at the same time facing off against the Vocem Furis, aliens who fed off voices with great talent leaving the victim mute. She had managed to out sing them forcing them to leave the planet in defeat never to return as was their laws.

Stella had gone out earlier that morning for some groceries and to re-stock her lollipops. She had reassured the Doctor that she would be fine on her own and that she wanted to do this. It was a small step to being back to where she was, but it was a step in the right direction.

"Ta ra ra boom de ay quanda rilo, something is happening." The Doctor sang out.

"Doctor." Craig knocked on the door.

"Hello?" The Doctor replied.

"How long are you going to be in there?" Craig asked.

"Oh, sorry. I like a good soak." The Doctor answered right before banging from upstairs echoed down.

"What the hell was that?" Craig exclaimed looking up at the ceiling.

"What did you say?" The Doctor poked his head out from behind the shower curtain.

"I'm just going to go upstairs. See if he's okay." Craig replied walking out into the foyer and starting up the stairs.

"Sorry?" The Doctor called out as Craig knocked on the door of the apartment. "What did you say?"

"Yes? Hello?" A grey haired figure opened the door on the chain.

"Craig?" The Doctor scrambled out of the shower, slipping and falling painfully to the ground. "Ow."

"It's me from downstairs. I heard a big bang." Craig replied.

"No choice. It's sonicking time." The Doctor stumbled to his feet grabbing an electric toothbrush instead of the sonic that was residing in the same cup on the sink. He ran out into the hall dropping his towel and picking it up, fumbling it as he tried to secure it, in his mad scramble to get to Craig.

"Thank you, Craig, but I don't need your help." The man replied closing the door and Craig started back down the stairs just as the Doctor, with a towel around his waist, met him at the foot of the stairs pointing the toothbrush at the upstairs door making it go whirr.

"What happened, what's going on?" The Doctor brandished the toothbrush.

"Is that my toothbrush?" Craig asked with a confused look as the Doctor glanced to the toothbrush.

"Correct." The Doctor quickly lowered the tooth brush, trying to keep his hair out of his face. "You spoke to the man upstairs?

"Yeah." Craig nodded.

"What did he look like?" The Doctor questioned.

"More normal than you do at the moment, mate." Craig laughed slightly. "What are you doing?"

"I thought you might be in trouble." The Doctor defended himself.

"Thanks. Well, if I ever am, you can come and save me with my toothbrush." Craig laughed a bit more, then his phone rang inside the flat. He gave the Doctor one last look before he went off to answer it. The Doctor looked up the stairs and hesitantly started up them.

-0-

Stella was walking up to the front of the flat singing Lollipop by the Chordettes, a bag of groceries in her hands. She wore a new outfit she had picked up along with a few others since she didn't know how long she and the Doctor would be there, she had also picked up some extra things for the Doctor.

She wore her favorite selection which consisted of a scooped neck dark green long sleeved tunic dress that reached just above her knees, a pair of knee high tan brown boots, brown leggings that tucked into the boots, a brown faux fur vest, her round rose colored glasses, her hair was loose, and a cluster of flowers over her right ear holding some of her hair back. She started up the stairs dancing as she went, proud that she had been able to go out on her own without having a breakdown, almost running into another girl also headed up to the flat.

"Sorry, wasn't watching where I was going." Stella apologized taking a step back.

"That's alright, you must be one of Craig's new flat mates." Sophie commented with a pleasant smile.

"Yep, me and my fiancé." Stella nodded. "You must be Sophie."

"Yeah, that's me. Is Craig home?" Sophie asked.

"He was before I went to the store." Stella said as Sophie unlocked and opened the doors allowing them to walk in just in time to see the Doctor going up the stairs in nothing but a towel around his waist. The Doctor turned around at the sound of the door opening grinning when he saw Stella and Sophie.

"Oh!" Sophie said in surprise at his lack of attire.

"Sophie, this is my fiancé the Doctor, Doctor, this is Sophie." Stella said with an amused smile.

"Hello." Sophie nodded as he came back down the stairs.

"Ah! Hello." He smiled and air kissed each of her cheeks for a greeting.

"Oh. Oh." Sophie blushed glancing over to Stella who rolled her eyes before handing the Doctor some of the groceries.

"Come on and help me put these up love." Stella said leading him into the kitchen with Sophie following.

"Yes ma'am." The Doctor grinned, completely comfortable in just a towel. Craig was talking on the phone as Stella and the Doctor quickly put everything away before looking to Craig.

"No, Dom's in Malta. There's nobody around. Hang on a sec." Craig looked to the Doctor. "We've got a match today, pub league. We're one down if you fancy it?"

"Pub league. A drinking competition?" The Doctor asked.

"No, football. Play football." Craig explained, glancing at his lack of attire.

"Football. Football. Yes, blokes play football. I'm good at football…I think." The Doctor looked to Stella who nodded with a thumbs up.

"You've saved my life. I've got somebody. Yeah, all right, I'll see you down there." Craig hung up and looked to Sophie. "Hey, Soph."

"Hey, I thought I'd come early and meet your new flat mates." Sophie smiled.

"Do you play, Sophie?" The Doctor asked.

"No, Soph just stands on the sidelines. She's my mascot." Craig answered for her.

"I'm your mascot? Mascot?" Sophie questioned pulling a face.

"Well, yeah, not my mascot. It's a football match." Craig quickly back tracked while the Doctor and Stella watched. "I can't take a date."

"I didn't say I was your date." Sophie said.

"Neither did I." Craig said quickly leaving behind an awkward tension.

"Honey, where are your clothes, not that I don't mind the view, but I don't like to share." Stella said breaking the silence.

"Better get dressed." The Doctor glanced down then quickly covering his chest before rushing back to their room.

"I don't half love that mad man." Stella followed, jogging a bit to catch up to the Doctor.

"The spare kit's just in the bottom drawer." Craig said following them, but the Doctor didn't allow him to see into the room.

"Bit of a mess." The Doctor went into the room pulling Stella with him and quickly shut the door.

"What do you think?" Craig turned back to Sophie.

"Stella seems really nice and you didn't say the Doctor was gorgeous." Sophie said right before the Doctor poked his head out of his room.

"You unlocked the door. How did you do that? Stella's hands were to full to do it without setting something down. Those are your keys. You must have left them last time you came here." The Doctor said rapidly.

"Yeah, but I…how do you know these are my keys?" Sophie asked holding up the pink keys.

"I've been holding them." Craig said with an embarrassed wince.

"I have got another set." Sophie said holding up her second set.

"You've got two sets of keys to someone else's house?" Stella called out from inside the room where she was pulling her hair back into a braid decorated with her flower cluster still in the same place.

"Yeah?" Sophie replied.

"I see. You must like it here too." The Doctor grinned before ducking back into the room and putting on the number 11 shirt back to front.

"So, we're going out. If Stella and I hang about the house all the time, him upstairs might get suspicious and notice us." The Doctor was filling Amy in on what was going on as Stella helped the Doctor turn the shirt round the right way.

"Football. Okay, well done. That is normal." Amy congratulated him.

"Yeah, football. All outdoorsy." The Doctor nodded.

"Now, football's the one with the sticks, isn't it?" The Doctor asked looking to Stella.

"No, this is the one with the weird shaped brown ball." Stella grinned when she heard Amy groaning on the other end of the line.

-0-

It was a nice sunny, albeit chilly, fall day at the park when they arrived with Sophie and Craig, the rest of the league was already there, gearing up to go. Stella and the Doctor walked hand in hand swinging their entwined fingers back and forth as they went, cheerful and happy.

"What are you actually called? What's your proper name?" Craig asked as they walked onto the field.

"Just call me the Doctor." The Doctor replied.

"Yeah." Sophie nodded.

"I can't go up to these guys and say hey, this is my new flat mate, he's called the Doctor." Craig exclaimed quietly.

"Why not?" Stella asked.

"Because it's weird." Craig replied as they got to the pitch where the others were waiting for them.

"All right, Craig. Soph. All right, mate." They all exchanged greetings.

"Hello, I'm Craig's new flat mate. I'm called the Doctor." He greeted them with air kisses which were met with confused uncomfortable looks.

"And I'm Stella." Stella waved.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Chris." One of the flirtier team members said taking her hand and kissing the back of it, the others rolling their eyes with groans at the flirtatious man. The Doctor, not taking it well, possessively pulled her to himself wrapping his arm around her from behind.

"She's my fiancé, means we're going to get married so hands off boys." The Doctor said with a tight smile, but a serious look in his eyes.

"Sorry mate, no offense meant." Chris held up his hands.

"It's nice to meet you all." Stella said with a smile.

"You as well." Sean replied, wanting to move onto more important things. "All right, Doctor. I'm Sean. So, where are you strongest?"

"Arms." The Doctor replied right away.

"No love, I think he means what position on the field." Stella explained to him.

"Oh, right." The Doctor looked himself over. "Not sure. The front? The side? Below."

"Are you any good though?" Sean asked, not so sure considering the Doctor's lack of knowledge.

"Let's find out." The Doctor said taking the ball and kicking it starting the game up. It was going great and the Doctor was amazing to watch. He was very nimble, dodging other players whilst dribbling the ball like a professional.

"Yeah, we're going to win." A woman called out.

"That's not bad. Yes! Go!" Sophie cheered.

"Go Doctor!" Stella hopped in place as she watched him go.

"One two. One two." Craig called out, but the Doctor didn't pass to Craig.

"Go on, Doctor! Go on, Doctor!" Sophie cheered along with the others as he neared the goal and scored.

"Goal!" Stella through her hands up.

"Doctor! Doctor! You're brilliant." Sophie called out.

"You're amazing." Stella added blowing him a kiss which he caught with a wink as he placed it between his hearts making her giggle and grin like a lovesick puppy.

"Oh you're so lucky, he's such a sweet heart." Sophie said wistfully, Stella following her gaze to Craig. "I hope I'm half as lucky someday."

"You will be, just keep your eyes open." Stella replied.

"Come on, Craig. Catch up, mate." A player called out to Craig.

"Come on, Craig. Show them what you've got." Sophie cheered him on.

Craig was about to take the kick when the Doctor stole it from him and scored again to general rejoicing. Stella bit her lip as she looked to Craig, who looked upset. She knew the Doctor could get a bit carried away at times when he found something new he loved, he didn't mean to hurt anyone.

"Oh yes, I love this game." The Doctor yelled.

"Doctor! Doctor! Doctor! Doctor!" Spectators chanted him on as he scored more goals and Craig got more annoyed. Finally it was the end, Craig's team having devastated the opposing team thanks to the Doctor.

"You are so on the team. Next week we've got the Crown and Anchor. We're going to annihilate them." Sean said as the other cheered, but the Doctor took them seriously.

"Annihilate? No. No violence, do you understand me? Not while I'm around. Not today, not ever. I'm the Doctor, the Oncoming Storm…" The Doctor towered over them as they all looked at him in confusion.

"Doctor." Stella wrapped her arm around his causing him to look down to her, one of her eyebrows raised, his eyes widening in realization.

"And you basically meant beat them in a football match, didn't you?" The Doctor looked back to the others.

"Yeah." Sean nodded hesitantly still eyeing the Doctor.

"Lovely. What sort of time?" The Doctor asked with a bright smile, like nothing had happened while Stella giggled. Craig opened a can of drink and got sprayed with the foam causing the others to laugh. Then it repeated again and again leaving only the Doctor and Stella unaffected, the Doctor activated his home made blue tooth as the two ran a ways away from the time looping football players. "Amy?"

"It's happening again. Worse." Amy called out as she held onto the shaking ship.

"What does the scanner say?" The Doctor asked.

"A lot of nines. Is it good that they're nines? Tell me it's good that they're all nines." Amy begged as she held onto the monitor.

"Yes, yes, it's, it's good. Zigzag plotter. Zigzag plotter, Amy." The Doctor ordered as she fiddled with the lever. There was a bang and Amy was thrown to the floor screaming. "Amy? Are you there?"

"Doctor? What's going on? Is she ok?" Stella panicked.

"Amy?" The Doctor called out again.

"Yes. Hello." Amy regained her footing.

"Oh, thank heavens. I thought for a moment the Tardis had been flung off into the vortex with you inside it, lost forever." The Doctor said in relief then grunted when Stella elbowed him in the side.

"What, you mean that could actually happen?" Amy demanded.

"No." Stella stretched out the word, her voice gaining a few octaves.

"Is that your lying no?" Amy accused, and the couple became silent.

"No…" Stella said in the same voice tone.

"You have got to get me out of here." Amy said.

"How are the numbers?" The Doctor asked.

"All fives." Amy replied.

"The time loop stopped." Stella looked to where the players had resumed their laughing at Craig's expense.

"Fives? Even better." The Doctor nodded. "Still, it means the effect's almost unbelievably powerful and dangerous, but don't worry. Hang on, okay?"

"Hey, wait!" Amy called out.

"We've got some rewiring to do." The Doctor said.

-0-

Stella dug through the tool box as she held the wheel to the top of the lamp, pulling out the tool she needed she attached them together while the Doctor attached the broom handles. She smiled as the Doctor went on and on about the football match, excited about his new passion.

"We have got to get a football field in the Tardis." The Doctor remarked as they worked, still hyped up from the game.

"That'd be neat, you could teach me your how you play." Stella commented.

"Sounds like fun." The Doctor replied, looking over at her, his eyes twinkling.

The Doctor grinned pulling Stella onto his lap and pressing a deep kiss into her lips. His hand started at her lower back sliding up to the back of her neck making her shiver. Stella buried one hand in his hair massaging his scalp while the other played with the hair at the nape of his neck. Slowly they pulled back resting their foreheads against one another, their eyes closed.

"I love you." Stella sighed.

"I love you as well." The Doctor said going in for another kiss, but a knock on the door stopped them. The Doctor grumbled as Stella slid off his lap allowing him to stand up, snatching up a traffic cone as he went to the door, opening it just a bit so Craig could not see in. "Hello, flat mate."

"Hey, man. Er, listen. Er, Sophie's coming round tonight and I was wondering if you and Stella could give us some space?" Craig asked.

"Oh, don't mind us. You won't even know we're here." The Doctor assured him, looking up as a bang went off upstairs. "That's the idea."

"Doctor, I need you." Stall called out, having gotten back to work. The Doctor smiled at Craig with a wink then shut the door.

"Yes, perfect! What a beauty." The Doctor called out seeing the progress she had made.

"Thanks love, you gave me some good inspiration." Stella beamed and Craig's ears went red as he quickly retreated from his flat mates doors. "So, Sophie's coming over huh?"

"Yep." The Doctor nodded.

"Maybe we could go out on a date to give them some alone time?" Stella commented with a shrug. "We haven't been on a date, date in a while."

"We really should get this ready, maybe afterwards." The Doctor said as he eyed the device. "You know, after this is settled."

"Of course, you're right." Stella sighed getting back to work, the Doctor glancing over to her seeing her sad look and making a mental note to make it up to her. "But if we're going to get this working we need a better electric flow, we need to do some rewiring."

"Sounds good, I'll get the tools." The Doctor as he grabbed up some things they'd need.

-0-

Later that night Sophie and Craig set in the living room, Sophie's eyes getting drawn up to the large stain on the ceiling. Her face drawing up in a disgusted look as she eyed it.

"That's got bigger." Sophie said.

"Oh, yeah. Craig looked up at it.

"Are we going out?" Sophie asked turning back to Craig

"I've had a bit of a weird day. Can we do pizza booze telly?" Craig asked.

"Great, love it. Wait…." Sophie took out her phone turning it off. "No Melina, no crises, no interrupciones."

"Great. Excellent." Craig smiled then became nervous. "Er, Soph….I've…I think…."

"Where's this going?" Sophie asked.

"I think that we should…" Craig went on.

"Mmm?" Sophie hummed as they leaned in closer, but the Doctor popped up behind the sofa.

"Hello." The Doctor said making them spring apart.

"What?" Craig yelped, having thought they had left already.

"Doctor!" Stella snapped from where she had been peeking out from their room. She had originally wanted to go out and get the wiring going stating that she was much stealthier, but the Doctor had said he could do it and me just as stealthy. "That was not stealthy at all."

"Whoops. Sorry." The Doctor smiled apologetically as Stella came over to them, her arms crossed. "Don't worry, I wasn't listening. In a world of my own down there."

"I thought you were going out?" Craig said with a tense smile.

"That was the idea, but we had a few things to do before we split." Stella said reassuringly as she took the wiring form the Doctor.

"Just re-connecting all the electrics. It's a real mess." The Doctor commented then held up a normal screwdriver. "Where's the on switch for this?"

"They really were just on their way out." Craig said to Sophie.

"No, I don't mind." Sophie said shaking her head. "I mean, if you don't mind."

"I don't mind. Why would I mind?" Craig said, clearly minding the interruption very much.

"Then stay. Have a drink with us." Sophie offered.

"What? Do I have to stay now?" The Doctor asked, glancing around.

"Do you want to stay?" Craig asked, trying to hint that he wanted them to go.

"It's nice of you to offer, but…" Stella started, but the Doctor cut in.

"We don't mind." The Doctor said with a bright smile.

"Okay." Sophie said.

"Great." Craig said, an edge to his voice.

-0-

A little later, the Doctor was still working on the electricity, a wiring loom around his neck, while Stella was sitting on the arm of the chair holding the tool box in her lap handing the Doctor what he needed. Sophie watched the couple with a wistfully amused smile as they talked, the Doctor kissing Stella's hand every time she handed him a tool. Sometimes he asked for tools he didn't even need just to make her smile as he pressed his lips to the back of her hand.

"Because life can seem pointless, you know. Work, weekend, work, weekend. And there's six billion people on the planet doing pretty much the same." Sophie explained to them.

"Six billion people." The Doctor mused. "Watching you two at work, I'm starting to wonder where they all come from."

"Huh? What do you mean by that?" Sophie asked.

"So then, the call center." Stella said before the Doctor could explain his statement. "That's no good, then." Stella leaned forward with a thoughtful look aimed at Sophie. "What do you really want to do?"

"Don't laugh." Sophie said hesitantly. "I only ever told Craig about it."

"Scouts honor." Stella held up three fingers.

"I want to work looking after animals. Maybe abroad?" Sophie shrugged then became more animated about her dream as she went on. "I saw this orangutan sanctuary on telly."

"Why would we laugh at that, it sounds brilliant." Stella commented. "I love Orangutans."

"What's stopping you?" The Doctor asked.

"She can't. You need loads of qualifications." Craig explained for her.

"Yeah, true. Plus it's scary. Everyone I know lives round here." Sophie shrugged with a frown. "Like, Craig got offered a job in London. Better money. He didn't take it."

"What's wrong with staying here? I can't see the point of London." Craig sighed.

"Well, perhaps that's you, then. Perhaps you'll just have to stay here, secure and a little bit miserable, till the day you drop." The Doctor rambled on. "Better than trying and failing, eh?"

"You think I'd fail?" Sophie said, hurt written all over her features.

"Everybody's got dreams, Sophie. Very few are going to achieve them, so why pretend?" Stella pointed out as the Doctor tried the wine and let it pour back into the glass from his mouth, Stella taking it from him setting it aside.

"Perhaps, in the whole wide universe, a call center about is where you should be." The Doctor finished up.

"Why are you saying that? That's horrible." Sophie frowned.

"Is it true?" Stella raised an eyebrow.

"Of course it's not true. I'm not staying in a call center all my life. I can do anything I want." Sophie argued causing the Doctor and Stella to smile. Sophie looked at them for a split moment before her eye slit up in realization. "Oh, yeah. Right. Oh, my God. Did you see what they just did?"

"No, sorry, what's happening? Are you going to live with monkeys now?" Craig panicked.

"It's a big old world, Sophie. Work out what's really keeping you here, eh?" The Doctor pointed out, pulling Stella down onto his lap, wrapping his arms around her.

"I don't know." Sophie glanced over at Craig, worrying her hands starring down at her lap. "I don't know."

-0-

They had talked for a while more before Sophie decided that it was time for her to get home. She cited that she had work in the morning and bade the Doctor and Stella farewell while Craig walked her out.

"So, are you going to be taking off then? Seeing the world?" Craig asked nervously as they stood in the doorway.

"What, do you think I should?" Sophie asked.

"Yeah. Like the Doctor and Stella says, what's, what's keeping you here?" Craig said trying to smile, despite his negative feelings on the subject.

"Yeah, exactly." Sophie nodded, hesitating a moment as if waiting for Craig to say something. "Bye."

"See you." Craig said before they hugged and separated. "See you in a bit."

"Yeah." Sophie nodded going on her way.

-0-

The Doctor and Stella worked tirelessly on their strange gizmo which sat on the box springs of the bed. It included a bicycle wheel, an umbrella, a rotary clothes line, a lamp shade and the bicycle's pedals, with a rake, a broom and an oar as outriggers and the traffic cone on top.

Stella had set up the mattress on the side of the room against the wall at the Doctor's suggesting/order that she get some sleep every night they were there, still worried about her sleeping patterns. Stella glanced up at the Doctor loving how he looked with his bracers hanging down and his sleeves rolled up, finding it very attractive in her opinion.

"You're distracting me." Stella commented with a playful smile.

"What?" The Doctor glanced around. "How? Am I humming or something?"

"Nope, just looking downright alluring." Stella grinned as the Doctor's ears went bright red though he smiled reaching up adjusting his bow tie.

"You're not bad yourself beautiful." The Doctor winked before pulling her up to her feet and pecking her lips.

"If you two are done flirting…" Amy commented over the comm causing the time travelers to blush. "Mind telling me what you're getting?"

"Right." The Doctor pecked Stella's lips one more time before moving onto the machine and set it spinning. "Shield's up. Let's scan."

"Upstairs." Stella said, her brows furrowing as she looked over the Doctor's shoulder. "No traces of high technology. It's completely normal."

"No, no, no, no, no, it can't be. It's too normal." The Doctor argued moving around their machine ducking under rotating pieces.

"Only for you could too normal be a problem." Amy groaned out in annoyance. "You said I could be lost forever. Just go upstairs."

"Without knowing and get myself and Stella killed? Then you really are lost." The Doctor replied wrapping his arm around Stella protectively. "If I could just get a look in there."

"Hold on. Amy, use the data bank." Stella said quickly. "Get the plans of this building. I want to know its history, the layout, everything."

"Meanwhile, I shall recruit a spy." The Doctor grinned.

-0-

Craig was starting to tidy up when he decided to examine the stain more closely. He stepped up onto the easy chair under the stain and reached up toward it, only hesitating for a moment before deciding to go for it.

"Rotmeister." Craig scoffed before he touched the stain and there was a hissing sound causing his to jerk back his hand, stepping down from the chair. "Ow! Ow."

-0-

Next morning, the Doctor was carrying a tray into Craig's room while Stella was finishing up getting ready for the day. She was wearing one of the Doctor's favorite outfits. It was an off the shoulder Tardis blue long bell sleeved shift dress that reached down to her knees with a lace hemline and a pair of calf high brown fringe boots.

She left her hair hanging down in loose waves to her waist with a braided cord around her head crossing over her forehead tying on the right side of her head with tiny blue and white flowers adorning it. To complete her ensemble she had her rose colored glasses perched on the end of her nose.

"Craig? Craig? Breakfast." The Doctor called out as he knocked on Craig's door before entering. "It's normal. Craig?" He took notice of the sickly parlor of Craig. "Craig. Craig, Craig, Craig." He rushed over to the bed setting the trey aside on the bed as he checked over Craig. "I told you not to touch it."

"Doctor?" Stella ran in having heard the Doctor's shouting. "What happened?"

"He touched it! Look, what's that?" The Doctor saw a green line up the inside of Craig's forearm. "It's an unfamiliar and obviously poisonous substance." The Doctor grumbled in frustration. "Oh, I know what'd be really clever, I'll stick my hand in it."

"Are you channeling Craig or just yourself?" Stella smarted off as she scanned Craig, bringing them up on holographic screen.

"I would never…." Stella shot him a look. "…one time!" The Doctor focused back on Craig. "Come on, Craig, breathe." The Doctor hit Craig's chest with his fists clasped together and Craig gasped, his eyes popping open as he took in great gulps of air. "Come on, Craig, breathe. Thems are healthy footballer's lungs."

"I've got an idea." Stella rushed out of the room back to the kitchenette and stuffed as many teabags as possible into the commemorative Royal Wedding teapot, even grabbing some from the trash, then ran back into the room handing it to the Doctor. "Here give him this."

"Right, reverse the enzyme decay. Excite the tannin molecules, perfect love." The Doctor praised as he poured the super-strong tea straight into Craig's mouth.

"I've got to go to work." Craig grumbled.

"On no account. You need rest. One more." The Doctor poured some more tea into him.

"It's the planning meeting. It's important." Craig responded weakly.

"You're important." Stella admonished him, patting his forehead with a rag she had grabbed from the kitchen. "You're going to be fine, Craig."

Once he was settled Stella retrieved a pitcher of water and a glass setting them on his nightstand before she and the Doctor left him at 7:15 to rest in his room.

"Come along Stella my love." The Doctor said as he took her hand in his pulling her along to the door.

"Where are we off to?" Stella asked as they swung their hands back and forth, locking the door behind them as they left.

"Craig's call center, we're going to be his representatives for the planning meeting and perhaps get a little more information while we're at it." The Doctor spun her around making her smile as he exchanged holding her hand for wrapping it around her waist holding her close to his side.

-0-

Craig ran into the office at full tilt rushing past everyone down the hall to make it to his desk. The first thing he saw was his boss standing next to his desk and felt dread spike at his heart. He was late, so very late and new that he had to be in trouble.

"Oh, afternoon." Michael, his boss, greeted him with a smile that did nothing to calm Craig down.

"I'm so sorry, Michael. I don't know what happened. I've got no excuse." Craig started to grovel right away.

"I think that's not what my screen is telling me, Mister Lang." The Doctor came up from under the desk

"What's he doing here? What are you doing here?" Craig demanded.

"If that's your attitude, Mister Lang, please take your custom elsewhere." The Doctor blew a raspberry into the phone.

"No, no, no, that's one of my best clients." Craig panicked as Stella came over with two cups of tea.

"Hello, Craig. How are you feeling?" Stella looked to him as she sat the cups down.

"Fine…" Craig stuttered out, his eyes going wider at the sight of Stella at his job as well. "But what are you two doing here?!"

"Had some time to kill." The Doctor informed him. "We were curious, well I was curious."

"He's never worked in an office." Stella nodded to the Doctor who was eyeing the tea and rolled her eyes. "Calm down, Sophie made it."

"Never worked in anywhere really." The Doctor went on shooting Stella a bashful look. "Stella had though."

"Actually I was a Crusading Coordinator for a dental office, same difference though." Stella shrugged as she sat on the edge of the desk next to the Doctor.

"Crusading Coordinator." The Doctor laughed shaking his head, finding the stories of her time in the dental office immensely hilarious.

She had been tracking down an alien known on earth as a tooth fairy, but to the universe they were a species called Albus Dente. Apparently there had been an influx of rotting teeth that had caught her attention when she had been visiting earth, finding herself stranded in a small town while her manipulator recharged after a series of events. She had nearly lost her teeth in that little escapade, but she had gotten the infestation under control.

"It was a theme for the office ok." Stella rolled her eyes, glancing at the straining ladle that had started twitching on the desk. "Super Hero themed dentists, what will they think of next?"

"You're insane." Craig exclaimed.

"Leave off the Doctor and Stella. I love them." Michael smiled at the couple.

"Thank you Mike." Stella raised her cup to him in a salute.

"They were brilliant in the planning meeting." Michael went on.

"You went to the planning meeting?" Craig asked wide eyed.

"Yes." Stella smiled. "We were your representatives."

"We don't need Mister Lang anymore." The Doctor made a face. "Rude Mister Lang."

"Here you go, and I found some custard creams." Sophie came over to them handing the treats to the Doctor.

"Sophie, my hero." The Doctor smiled taking the plate.

"Yay!" Stella cheered as she nabbed one from the plate.

"Hi, Craig." Sophie smiled. "I went on the web, applied for a wildlife charity thing. They said I could always start as a volunteer straight away." She looked to him anxiously. "Should I do it?"

"Yeah, great. Yeah, good. Go for it." Craig said distractedly.

"You look awful." Stella said eyeing Craig, his pale parlor and the glistening sweat on his forehead.

"About turn. Bed. Now." The Doctor ordered, Craig starring at them stunned.

"Might be best Craig, go on, we have things covered here." Stella assured with another smile.

"Who next? Oh, yes. Hello, Mister Joergensen." The Doctor said answering the phone as Craig walked away in a shocked stupor. "Can you hold? I have to eat a biscuit."

-0-

After work was over the Doctor and Stella head back toward the flat walking down the streets hand in hand. Stella glanced over to a small café smiling wistfully at the couples that were eating outside and there was even a small dance area where they swayed softly to the music.

The Doctor followed her line of sigh and his face broke out into a large smile. He led her over pulling out a chair at one of the small tables for her, the waiter coming over and taking their orders.

"I thought we didn't have time for a date." Stella commented as the drinks were placed before them along with the baked goods they had ordered.

"What could a couple of hours hurt? Plus I'm a time lord, I'll make the time for you." The Doctor took her hands in his, stroking the back of them with his thumbs. As they talked lovingly to each other he picked up her left hand pressing a kiss to her ring finger making her blush. Dean Martin "You Belong to Me" started to play over the speakers, Stella glancing up at the tune with a smile and a chuckle.

"What?" The Doctor asked.

"Bing sang this once and he referred to Dean as the singing pizza pusher." Stella recalled her time with the crooners. "I loved singing this song with them, it's one of my favorites."

The Doctor grinned pulling her onto the dance floor his hand slipping down her spine resting on her lower back as the other took hold of her right hand holding it so that the back of it was pressed against his chest. Stella placed her free hand on his shoulder where it met with his neck smiling up at him as they moved.

He closed his eyes resting his forehead against her as she hummed along with the song. His hand released her to pull her closer as they wrapped around her waist freeing her hands to play with the hair at the nape of his neck.

"Stella…" The Doctor said softly causing her eyes to flutter open, gazing into his brilliant green eyes. His hand reached up cupping the side of her face, his thumb stroking her cheek as he just stared into her eyes. The love he was silently conveying causing Stella to smile softly as she stood on her tip toes pressing a loving kiss to his lips. When they slowly parted Stella lay her head on his shoulder, their arms wrapped around each other as they swayed to the music.

They reluctantly had to leave after a few more dances, continuing on their way back to the flat, their arms wrapped around each other. Stella had her head resting on the Doctor's shoulder as he periodically placed loving kisses on top of her head while they talked. The Doctor held the door open to the flat allowing Stella in first just in time to see the cat they had recruited coming down the stairs.

"Have you been upstairs? Yes?" The Doctor asked setting on the steps of the stairs with Stella, the cat climbing onto her lap as she stroked his fur soothingly.

"You can do it. Show us what's up there? What's behind that door? Try to show us." Stella gently urged the cat and her brows furrowed at the imaged she was getting.

"Oh, but that doesn't make sense." The Doctor said sharing a look with Stella. "Ever see anyone go up there?" The cat answered. "Lots of people? Good, good. What kind of people?"

The cat meowed in answer again.

"People who never came back down." Stella frowned.

"Oh, that's bad. That's very bad." The Doctor said then suddenly Craig opened the door to the hall scarring the cat off.

Oh, hello." Stella and the Doctor stood up from the stairs. "How are you feeling?"

"I can't take this anymore. I want you to go, both of you." Craig replied.

"I'm going to go with bad." Stella commented as they followed Craig into the flat.

"You can have this back and all." He shoved the bag of money they had given them into the Doctor's hands.

"What have we done?" The Doctor asked.

"For a start, talking to a cat." Craig pointed out.

"Lots of people talk to cats." Stella shot back as Craig stalked across the flat toward their room ranting as he went.

"And everybody loves you, and you're better at football than me, and my job, and now Sophie's all oh, monkeys, monkeys, and then there's that." He flung open the door revealing their shielding system/scanner.

"It's art." Stella deadpanned, realizing that the gig was up.

"A statement on modern society." The Doctor added, trying to keep hiding the truth from Craig. "Ooo, ain't modern society awful.

"Me and you two, it's not going to work out. You've only been here three days. These have been the three weirdest days of my life." Craig went on complaining.

"Your days will get a lot weirder if we go." The Doctor argued.

"It was good weirdness. It's not, it's bad weird. I can't do this anymore." Craig sounded close to shouting.

"Craig, we can't leave this place. We're like you, can't see the point of anywhere else. Madrid? Ha, what a dump. We have to stay." The Doctor maintained.

"No, you don't. You have to leave." Craig stood firm.

"We can't go." Stella sighed out in frustration.

"Just get out!" Craig ordered.

"Right. Only way. I'm going to show you something, but shush. Really, shush. Oh, I am going to regret this. Okay, right. First, general background." The Doctor head-butted Craig making Stella wince in sympathy for both parties who were rocked with pain.

"She's a…" Craig looked to Stella in shock.

"Yep." Stella nodded.

"You're a…" He pointed at the Doctor.

"Yes." The Doctor agreed.

"From…" He pointed up.

"Shush." The Doctor ordered.

"You've got a Tardis." Craig went on in astonishment.

"Yes. Shush. Eleventh." The Doctor gestured to his face before taking hold of Craig again. "Right. Okay, specific detail."

"Wait…" Stella tried to stop them, but it was too late, another Glasgow kiss sent them both reeling back in pain.

"You saw my ad in the paper shop window." Craig said as he recovered.

"Yes, with this right above it." The Doctor held up the note.

"Which is odd, because Amy hasn't written it yet." Stella said, the note saying in red pen 'Doctor and Stella - this one no 79a Aickman Road Amy xx.'

"Time travel. It can happen." The Doctor said as he rubbed his forehead.

"That's a scanner. You used non-technological technology of Lammasteen!" Craig panicked, the Doctor and Stella covering his mouth cutting him off.

"Shut up!" They yelled together.

-0-

Sophie entered the flat wanting to check up on Craig after the incident at work. From what she had gathered from Stella he had been pretty sick which was why they were covering for him that day. She really liked how they looked out for him.

"Please can you help me?" The little girl with a doll at the top of the stairs asked pleadingly, her face cast in shadow.

"Hi." Sophie said as she started toward the stairs.

"Please, will you help me?" The girl repeated.

"What's the matter, my love? Help you?" Sophie climbed up the stairs toward the little girl leaving her keys in the door.

-0-

The Doctor and Craig were still reeling from the pain in their heads as well as Craig trying to come to terms with what he had learned.

"I am never, never doing that ever, ever again." The Doctor groaned taking on of Stella's cool hands in his pressing it to his forehead as he activated his Bluetooth like device. "Amy."

"That's Amy Pond." Craig gasped out, covering his mouth.

"Oh, of course, you can understand us now." Stella muttered as she rubbed the Doctor's forehead soothingly.

"Hurrah." The Doctor said as he took Stella's hand from his forehead, feeling better now, and kissing it lovingly. "Got those plans yet?"

"Still searching for them." Amy replied.

"We've worked it out, with psychic help from a cat." The Doctor commented.

"A cat?" Amy echoed.

"Yes. I know he's got a time engine in the flat upstairs." The Doctor replied.

"He's using innocent people to try and launch it." Stella added disdainfully.

"Whenever he does, they get burnt up, hence the stain on your ceiling." The Doctor went on.

"From the ceiling." Craig gasped.

"Well done, Craig." Stella patted him on the shoulder.

"And you, Miss Pond, nearly get thrown off into the Vortex." The Doctor pointed out.

"Lovely." Amy mumbled just as a crash sounded from upstairs.

"People are dying up there. People are dying. People are dying. People are dying." Craig started to repeat signaling another time loop.

"Amy." The Doctor called out hearing her yell, the Tardis flying wildly.

"They're being killed." Craig broke out of the loop.

"Someone's up there." Stella gasped as they ran into the foyer.

"Doctor?" Amy called out.

"Hang on." The Doctor cut her off as they started up the stairs, Craig hesitating to follow. "Craig, come on. Someone's dying up there."

"Oh no…" Stella's face went pale, the males following her gaze to Sophie's pink key ring in the door.

"Sophie." Craig gasped out. "It's Sophie that's dying up there! It's Sophie!"

"Doctor! Argh! Stella!" Amy called out as they charged up to the door.

"Where's Sophie?" Craig panicked.

"Wait, wait." The Doctor stopped him from going inside.

"Amy?" The Doctor called out.

"Are you upstairs?" Amy asked, still holding on for dear life to the monitor.

"Just going in." The Doctor answered.

"But you can't be upstairs." Amy argued over the sounds of the Tardis having a fit.

"Of course I can be upstairs." The Doctor scoffed.

"No, I've got the plans. You cannot be upstairs, it's a one-storey building." Amy told them. "There is no upstairs."

Stella held out her hand soncing open the door allowing them all into the non-existent second story. Initially it seemed a normal flat, at least around the door itself, the rest was a high tech space mobile.

"What? What?" Craig looked round the room as they stepped further inside.

"Oh. Oh, of course. The time engine isn't in the flat, the time engine is the flat." The Doctor said in realization.

"Someone's attempt to build a Tardis." Stella frowned at the console in the middle.

"No, there's always been an upstairs." Craig said as the door flickered between an alien door and the flat door disguise behind them.

"Has there? Think about it." The Doctor urged him.

"Yes. No. I don't…" Craig struggled.

"Perception filter. It's more than a disguise." Stella deactivated her internal perception filter revealing her cyborg markings, Craig's mouth dropping open in shock. "It tricks your memory."

The terrified scream of Sophie broke through the air bringing them back on to the task at hand.

"Sophie! Sophie! Oh, my God, Sophie!" Craig panicked as they ran to where Sophie was being pulled towards the central console by tendrils of electricity connected to her outstretched hand. She was sobbing in horror and pain as she was forced closer and closer to the console.

"Craig." Sophie called out as he wrapped his arms around her pulling back.

"It's controlling her." The Doctor said sonicing the console. "It's willing her to touch the activator."

"That's not going to have her." Craig said in determination as Sophie's hand was pulled onto a dome shaped control causing her to scream, the dome going red.

"Ah, deadlock seal." The Doctor snapped as he tried to use his sonic to get it to let her go.

"You've got to do something." Craig begged them trying to pull Sophie back when suddenly she was released causing them both to fall back.

"What? Why's it let her go?" Stella questioned as she ran over to the couple checking them over. "So, okay."

"You will help me." A man suddenly appeared, his face cast in shadow.

"Right. Stop. Crashed ship, let's see." The Doctor eyed the hologram. "Hello, I'm Captain Troy Handsome of International Rescue, this is my Lieutenant Helen Beautiful." He winked over at Stella who gave him a dry look in return. "Please state the nature of your emergency."

"The ship has crashed. The crew are dead. A pilot is required." The auto pilot said.

"You're the emergency crash program." The Doctor said. "A hologram."

"What, you've been luring people up here so you can try them out?" Stella snapped as she walked over to stand next to the Doctor. The hologram flickered between old man, young man and girl.

"You will help me. You will help me. You will help me." It demanded in each of the voices it had used to acquire other test pilots.

"Craig, what is this? Where am I?" Sophie asked groggily.

"Hush." The Doctor ordered her before focusing back on the hologram. "Human brains aren't strong enough, they just burn. But you're stupid, though. You just keep trying."

"Seventeen people have been tried. Six billion four hundred thousand and twenty six remain." It answered.

"Seriously, what is going on?" Sophie asked.

"Oh, for goodness sake." The Doctor said in annoyance.

"I got it." Stella waved off his frustration. "Listen up Sophie, the top floor of Craig's building is in reality an alien space ship intent on slaughtering the population of this planet. Any questions? No, good."

"Yes, I have questions." Sophie replied.

"Send us an e-mail." Stella smiled tensely.

"The correct pilot has now been found." Auto said.

"Yes, I was a bit worried that you were going to say that." The Doctor winced.

"He means you, Doctor, doesn't he?" Amy discerned and the Doctor was about to answer with a positive when the electricity reached out grabbing hold of Stella who screamed out in pain before clamping her mouth shut.

"Stella!" The Doctor called out as it began to drag her towards the console. The Doctor tried to hold her back wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling back.

"The correct pilot has been found. The correct pilot has been found. The correct pilot has been found." Auto repeated.

"What's happening?" Amy called out. "Doctor! What's happening to Stella?!"

"It's pulling her in. Stella's the new pilot." He answered in a strained voice as he pulled her back. Stella ground her teeth against the pain and planted her feet firmly while grabbing hold of a steel garter. Her grip denting the metal as she held on, but the pull was strong.

"Stella, could you do it?" Amy questioned. "Could you fly the ship safely?"

"No, I'm way too much for this ship. My hand touches that panel, the planet doesn't blow up, and the whole solar system does." Stella gasped out in pain as the garter broke in her hand causing her and the Doctor to stumble forward. Stella barely caught herself inches from the dome. "And my systems get fried which is a bit redundant considering the whole solar system explosion thing."

"What about the Doctor?" Amy asked.

"Same story, big explosion, no more solar system." The Doctor replied bracing one of his feet against the console still holding Stella back.

"The correct pilot has been found." Auto said.

"No. Worst choice ever, I promise you." The Doctor said through gritted teeth.

"Stop this. Stop it right now!" Stella ordered sharply, the pain coursing through her systems. The readings flashing before her eyes all in alert red listing her reports of the parts of her in dangers of frying.

"Doctor? Stella?" Amy called out as she was flung violently. "It's getting worse."

"Love, I could really use one of your famous plan/things right about now." Stella cried out.

"It doesn't want everyone. Craig, it didn't want you." The Doctor said in sudden realization.

"I spoke to him and he said I couldn't help him." Craig said in worry.

"It didn't want Sophie before but now it does. What's changed?" Stella asked as she caught on, as she was yanked forward almost touching the panel again letting out a yell of pain.

"Argh. No." The Doctor tightened his grip around Stella, desperate to keep her away from the dome. "No, I gave her the idea of leaving. It's a machine that needs to leave. It wants people who want to escape. And you don't want to leave, Craig. You're Mister Sofa Man.

"Stella! Doctor!" Amy screamed.

"Craig, you can shut down the engine. Put your hand on the panel and concentrate on why you want to stay." The Doctor ordered.

"Craig, no." Sophie tried to stop him.

"Will it work?" Craig asked.

"Yes." The Doctor nodded.

"Are you sure?" Craig asked.

"Yes." The Doctor answered.

"Is that a lie?" Craig asked.

"Of course it's a lie." Stella yelled.

"It's good enough for me. Geronimo! Argh!" Craig put his hand on the nearest control panel. Stella was released, she and the Doctor stumble back. The Doctor held onto her as she slumped against him for support while her systems rebooted.

"Craig!" Sophie called out.

"Stella! Doctor!" Amy screamed as the Doctor led Stella over to Craig who was not yelling in pain and doubled over.

"Craig, what's keeping you here?" The Doctor ordered as smoke was coming off Craig's hand. "Think about everything that makes you want to stay here." The Doctor slapped him. "Why don't you want to leave?"

"Sophie." Craig confessed with a jolt. "I don't want to leave Sophie. I can't leave Sophie. I love Sophie."

"I love you, too, Craig, you idiot." Sophie put her hand on Craig's, the electricity going through both of them thought neither showed any signs of pain.

"Doctor! Stella!" Amy screamed.

"Honestly, do you mean that?" Craig asked.

"Of course I mean it. Do you mean it?" Sophie asked back.

"I've always meant it. Seriously though, do you mean it?" Craig questioned.

"Yes." Sophie answered.

"What about the monkeys?" Craig asked.

"Oh, not now, not again. Craig, the planet's about to burn." Stella snapped in annoyance.

"For God's sake, kiss the girl." The Doctor demanded.

"Kiss the girl!" Amy agreed. Craig and Sophie kiss, and their hands were released from the panel only to wrap around each other.

"Doctor? Stella?" Amy called out slowly when the Tardis had calmed down. "You've done it. Ha ha! You've done it." She looked to the monitor. "Oh, now the screen's just zeros. Now it's minus ones, minus twos, minus threes. Big yes."

"Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me."

"Big no." The Doctor said as the hologram flickered between images.

"Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me."

"Did we switch it off?" Craig asked, finally coming up for air.

"Emergency shutdown. It's imploding." Stella corrected.

"Everybody out, out, out!" The Doctor ushered them all out the door, down the stairs, and into the street.

"Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me Help me. Help me. Help me."

"Doctor? Stella?" Amy called out.

"Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me."

The Doctor, Stella, Craig and Sophie ran down the stairs and outside. The top floor and roof turned into the Timeship which then disappeared with a slight poof, leaving a totally incongruous one story building at the end of an entirely two story terrace. A man walked by carrying a child not even looking at the building, but giving Stella a strange look, eyeing her blue cyber lines, before hurrying by.

"Look at them. Didn't they see that? The whole top floor just vanished." Craig said in astonishment.

"Perception filter." The Doctor said by way of explanation. "There never was a top floor."

-0-

Craig and Sophie are snogging on the sofa, unable to keep their hands off one another after all of that time hiding their feeling for one another. They broke apart smiling brilliantly at one another, completely and totally happy.

"So have we spoiled our friendship, then?" Craig asked.

"Totally ruined it." Sophie smiled.

"And what about the monkeys? We could save them together, you know. Do whatever we want. I could see the point of Paris if you were there with me." Craig commented.

"First, let's destroy our friendship completely." Sophie grinned impishly. The Doctor and Stella entered from their room smiling at the happy couple before turning their backs discreetly leaving the keys on the sideboard.

"Oi." Craig called out after them, spotting them trying to make a quiet getaway.

"What, you're trying to sneak off?" Sophie accused them from the couch.

"Yes, well, you were sort of busy." The Doctor pointed out.

"I want you to keep these." Craig gave him the keys back as Sophie came over to them.

"Thank you. Because we might pop back soon, have another little stay." The Doctor smiled.

"No, you won't. I've been in your head, remember. I still want you to keep them." Craig said.

"Thank you, Craig." Stella hugged them both.

"Thank you, Stella, Doctor." Craig nodded.

"Sophie. Now then. Six billion four hundred thousand and twenty six people in the world. That's the number to beat." The Doctor grinned pointing at the young woman.

"Yeah." Sophie blushed looking over to Craig. The Doctor and Stella left hand in hand, happy that the day was saved. Neither realized that behind the refrigerator with the photograph of the Doctor in his football kit standing with his arm around Stella who was waving a small flag of the teams was the crack in the wall.

-0-

Stella and the Doctor walked up to the Tardis flinging the door open before they stepped inside to find Amy leaning against the Tardis with her arms crossed.

"Hello Amy." The Doctor grinned. "Have a nice time home alone?" Amy merely raised an eyebrow. "Ok, I know the imminent threat of being flung off into the vortex was bad, but come on, all's right with the world again." The Doctor pointed out before scooping Stella up into his arms causing her to yelp, demanding to be put back down. "Now a quick jaunt to the med bay and then we will be on our way."

"Med bay?" Amy asked in concern.

"I'm fine, just a bit of a jolt from the control panel when it tried to get me to be the pilot." Stella gave up struggling to get out of the Doctor's arms and settled for pouting with her arms crossed when she couldn't manage to squirm away.

"A bit of a jolt?! You'll be lucky if it's just a few frayed connections or a couple of loose wires." The Doctor scoffed causing her to pout harder. "Oh, Amy, before I forget, you need to go to the paper shop and leave that note for us."

"I do hope Craig and Sophie have a good life together, they are such a cute couple." Stella commented.

"Right little matchmaker, aren't you? Can't you find me a fellow?" Amy asked him causing the Doctor to start slightly and Stella's to frown in guilt.

"Oh, Stella's rectifier's is playing up again hold on." The Doctor said and got a hit to his chest from Stella.

"We do not talk about my rectifier in front of Amy." Stella said with a blush. "My inner working her personal."

"Sorry dear." The doctor kissed her on the forehead. "You write the note and I'll change that will after I get Stella situated."

"You got a pen?" Amy asked.

"Doctor's jacket pocket." Stella called out.

"Make sure it's a red pen." The Doctor told her starting toward the hall.

Amy went through the Doctor's jacket pockets and found the ring box. She opened it thinking she was getting a sneak glimpse of the wedding ring that the Doctor had chosen for Stella. Instead of the unique ring she expected she found a simple band of white gold with a very Earth diamond in it, and remembered the crack in her wall.

-0-

Stella sighed as she laid on her stomach in the med bay of the Tardis, the Doctor running his sonic over her back opening up the panels that revealed her inner workings. As strange as it sounded he did love the chances he got to look inside of her. The different components that she had integrated into her systems spanned planets, cultures, species, and the ages, it was truly a work of inspired art to him.

"You know if you'd stop leering you'd be able to get the repairs done faster." Stella smirked.

"I am not leering." The Doctor quickly defended himself as his ears with bright red, Stella humming her disbelief. "I am not, I'm just trying to repair the damage you got from that shock from the panel."

"And having a good look around while you're at it." Stella continued to tease him.

"Can you blame me?" The Doctor caved in, pouting before smiling slyly. "You are quite the piece of work my dear." The Doctor closed her panels back up and leaning down pressing a kiss to the back of her neck, his fingers caressing her sides. "I can't get enough of you, inside or out."

Stella turned over on her back looking up at the Doctor who now held himself over her held up by his elbows, his fingers weaving themselves into her hair rushing against her ears. Stella reached up cupping the Doctor's face caressing his cheeks with her thumbs. The Doctor leaned down slowly brushing his lips against her before firmly sealing their lips together as the kiss intensified.

A nip on her bottom lip caused her to gasp allowing the Doctor entrance as her hands moved from his cheeks into his hair. Gently he moved from her lips trailing kisses down her jawline toward her neck as she raked her nails through his hair.

"Okay, I left the note, how's….OH MY…." Amy yelled slapping her hands over her eyes.

"Pond! Don't you knock?!" The Doctor straightened up with a bright blush adjusting his bow tie while Stella laid back on the med bed laughing at their reactions.

"The door was open." Amy snapped. "It's like walking on your parents." Amy complained rubbing her eyes. "I need to scour my eyes. Stella, stop laughing, it's not funny! I am mentally scarred here!"

"Yes it is!" Stella sat up swinging her legs off the med bed and hopping down looping her arm through the Doctor's and Amy's arms. "How about a trip to make up the scarring of your mind?"

"You better." Amy mumbled as they made their way out of the med bay.


	12. Chapter 12

Stella walked into the room wearing a long flowing maroon skirt, a slit up the side of the skirt reveal a pair of black gladiator sandals that reached up to her knees when she moved, she had on a belle sleeved crème colored fitted crop top shirt with an off the shoulder neckline, her rose colored glasses were perched on her nose, and her hair fell down loose to her hips in loose waves with a cluster of white flowers with light pink centers behind her right ear.

"Vavoom!" The Doctor said as soon as she walked up to the console.

"Thank you dear." Stella said causing him to look up from the console doing a double take at her outfit, especially since the way she was standing allowed her leg to be revealed all the way up to her thigh, his eyes following the length of her leg. She smiled at his flustered look as she walked over, her hips swaying as she did, letting her arm slide around his waist and gave him a lingering kiss.

"Va-what?" Amy questioned from where she had been sitting on the Doctor's harness under the Tardis glass floor.

"Don't ask." Stella grinned as Amy came up from under the Tardis floor. "Now where was it you were so excited to go?"

"I can't believe I've never thought of this before." The Doctor moved around the console pulling Stella along with him, twirling her a bit as they moved around piloting as they went along. "It's genius. Right." There was a thud. "Landed. Come on."

"Where are we?" Amy asked.

"Planet One." The Doctor looked to Amy, pausing on his way to the door with Stella. "The oldest planet in the universe. And there's a cliff of pure diamond, and according to legend, on the cliff there's writing. Letters fifty feet high." The Doctor explained excitedly. "A message from the dawn of time and no one knows what it says, because no one's ever translated it."

"Till today I suppose." Stella smiled at the Doctor's enthusiasm.

"What happens today?" Amy asked.

"Us." The Doctor booped her nose before making for the door once again. "The Tardis can translate anything." He hoped on the stairs down. "All we have to do is open the doors and read the very first words in recorded history."

The Doctor held out his hand to Amy who took it with a grin, the Doctor pulling both of the girls along and bursting outside to read the first message in the history of time and space.

"Hello Sweetie…" Stella read off with an amused hum, the rest of the message going on to say ΘΣ-ΦΓΥΔζ.

"Vavoom." Amy commented, equally amused.

"Indeed." Stella agreed while the Doctor frowned in annoyance as well as a bit of amusement himself though he tried to fight it.

-0-

The Tardis materialized at the edge of a thick wooded area on the crest of a hill. There was a fog in the air and leaves littered the ground indicating the lateness of the season. The sun was low in the sky soon to be setting by the looks of it.

"Right place?" Amy asked as she stepped out after the Doctor and Stella shutting the door behind her.

"Just followed the co-ordinates on the cliff face. Earth. Britain. One…oh…two am. No, pm." The Doctor said checking his watch.

"No, AD." Stella corrected as they looked down on a Roman camp below the hill they had landed on.

"That's a Roman Legion." Amy said in excitement.

"Yep, the Romans invaded Britain several times during this period." Stella informed her as she rocked on her heels.

"Oh, I know. My favorite topic at school. Invasion of the hot Italians." Amy grinned gaining a look from the Doctor.

"Yeah, I did get marked down for the title." Amy admitted.

"Why? That sounds pretty creative to me." Stella hummed as a soldier ran up to them out of breath and saluted.

"Hail, Caesar!" The soldier said kneeling to the Doctor causing Stella to frown in distaste.

"Hi." The Doctor answered in an unsure voice.

"Welcome to Britain." The soldier went on still bowing. "We are honored by your presence."

"Well, you're only human." The Doctor played along. "Arise, Roman person."

"Why does he think you're Caesar!?" Amy asked as the soldier got back to his feet revealing a smear of lipstick on his face.

"I'll give you three guesses and the first two do not count." Stella raised an eyebrow.

"Cleopatra will see you now." The soldier said before leading them back down the hill. He took them through the camp and into the biggest tent there was. Moving aside the flap he allowed them entrance to 'Cleopatra' sitting regally in her chair being served fruit and drink from two slave boys.

"Hello, sweeties." River greeted them.

"River. Hi." Amy greeted her in surprise.

"You graffitied the oldest cliff face in the universe." The Doctor admonished.

"You wouldn't answer your phone." River replied as she waved her servants out of the room.

"People would take that as a gentle hint." Stella commented as River dismissed her servants with a clap of her hands. "But really River, Cleo and Ceasar?"

"I know how you feel about them, but considering the time and area I find that it was a necessary evil." River replied.

"Those despicable creatures broke Callie's heart." Stella frowned.

"Callie?" Amy asked.

"Calpurnia, Caesar cheated on her with Cleopatra." The Doctor explained recalling Stella's friendship with the famed woman.

"And after he divorced poor Pompeia just because she was suspected of infidelity when that nitwit Publius Clodius Pulcher snuck into the festival of the Bona Dea, the "good goddess" dressed as a woman and made a move on her which she rebuffed." Stella crossed her arms with a dark look. "When Caesar found out he told her that," Stella adopted a snotty male tone. ""My wife ought not even to be under suspicion." Stella rolled her eyes going back to her normal voice. "And it started a proverb, "Caesar's wife must be above suspicion." Hilarious coming from that unfaithful man whore." Stella spat. "Then there was that Cleo rubbing her affair and children in Callie's face every time she visited, despicable woman."

"Well they got it in the end." River commented as she stood up.

"Did you…" Amy started to ask Stella, recalling what had happened to Caesar.

"Didn't have to." Stella shook her head, cutting her off before she could ask. "Their actions led them to their own downfalls, I just did nothing to prevent it." Stella sighed looking to River. "So what's up River?"

"This is what's up." River replied.

"What's this?" Stella asked as River held up a rolled up scroll.

"It's a painting. Your friend Vincent. One of his final works. He had visions, didn't he? I thought you ought to know about this one." River said as the Doctor snatched it from her rolling it out for them on a table, the Doctor and Stella going tense.

"Stella? Doctor, what is this?" Amy questioned as they gazed down at a version of Starry Night, with an exploding Tardis in the middle. "Why is it exploding?"

"I assume it's some kind of warning." River went on when neither time traveler spoke their hands seeking each other's out a clinging together.

"What, something's going to happen to the Tardis?" Amy asked as the Doctor took a seat, his finger to his lips while Stella started to pace.

"It might not be that literal." River pointed out. "Anyway, this is where he wanted you. Date and map reference on the door sign, see?"

"Does it have a title?" The Doctor asked.

"The Pandorica Opens." River answered.

"The Pandorica? What is it?" Amy asked.

"A box, a cage, a prison. It was built to contain the most feared thing in all the universe." River told them.

"And it's a fairy tale, a legend. It can't be real." The Doctor said as he stood up grabbing up some scrolls.

"If it is real, it's here and it's opening, and it's got something to do with our Tardis exploding." Stella said tensely. "Do you know where it might be?"

"Hidden, obviously. Buried for centuries. You won't find it on a map." River replied as the Doctor poured over the maps.

"No, but if you buried the most dangerous thing in the universe, you'd want to remember where you put it." The Doctor said contemplatively.

"River, we need four of the best horses you have now." Stella said darkly and River nodded heading out of the tent demanding the horses. As soon as they had them they were off racing across wide open fields, the Doctor and Stella leading the way urging their horses to their fastest speeds possible.

-0-

The riders arrived running inside the circle of tall stones jumping from their steeds to the ground as soon as they could. The Doctor, Stella, and River start scanning the stones; the Doctor with his sonic screwdriver, River with a handheld device, and Stella with her sonic hands.

"How come it's not new?" Amy asked them.

"Because it's already old." River informed her as she typed into her device. "It's been here thousands of years. No one knows exactly how long."

"Okay, this Pandorica thing. Last time we saw you, you warned us about it, after we climbed out of the Byzantium." Amy looked to River.

"Spoilers." River grinned placing her finger to her lips.

"No, but you told the Doctor and Rhea you'd see them again when the Pandorica opens." Amy went on in confusion.

"Maybe I did, but I haven't yet. But I will have." River said confusing her even more. "Doctor, Stella, I'm picking up fry particles everywhere. Energy weapons discharged on this site."

"If the Pandorica is here, it contains the mightiest warrior in history." The Doctor said hopping up on a rock gazing around himself.

"Now, half the galaxy would want a piece of that. Maybe even fight over it." Stella cast her eyes up warily at the sky as if trying to penetrate the heavy cloud coverage to see space beyond.

"We need to get down there." The Doctor said getting down from the rock and pressing his ear to it.

"Then let's get started." Stella said as they all went about their work.

-0-

The sun had set and they were still finding their way into the illusive Pandorica. River had placed four devices in the shape of an X on each corner of the Altar stone, each glowing a soft blue. She typed into her hand computer as she stepped back with the others.

"Right then. Ready." River announced. There was a sound of smooth machinery moving, then the Altar stone moved aside to reveal a staircase down into the ground.

"The Underhenge." The Doctor said before they descended into the dark depths of the earth, roots from the ground above hanging down around them. The Doctor used his sonic to light the way down the earthen stairs, his other hand firmly grasping Stella's as they went along.

The Doctor lit a handy torch with his sonic screwdriver, lighting another torch River had found with his before Stella stepped up unbarring the big door allowing the plank to drop to the ground. She exchanged an excited look with the Doctor before opening the doors with a loud creak. The Doctor slipped his hand back into Stella's before they entered the wed and root covered room, cautious of the large box in the middle of the cavern.

"It's a Pandorica." The Doctor said looking over the square monument with a circular design on each face.

"More than just a fairy tale." Stella breathed out as the Doctor started forward accidently kicking the arm of a cyberman lying in the dust of the floor, cautiously eyeing it before moving on.

"There was a goblin, or a trickster, or a warrior. A nameless, terrible thing, soaked in the blood of a billion galaxies." The Doctor told them as he reached out touching the Pandorica. "The most feared being in all the cosmos. And nothing could stop it, or hold it, or reason with it. One day it would just drop out of the sky and tear down your world."

"How did it end up in there?" Amy asked.

"You know fairy tales." Stella shrugged as she and the Doctor moved around the ancient box. "A good wizard tricked it."

"I hate good wizards in fairy tales." River scrunched up her nose handing off her torch to Amy as she got back out her computer. "They always turn out to be him…or Stella."

"So, it's kind of like Pandora's Box, then? Almost the same name." Amy said as she turned to look around the cavern, waving round the torch a bit.

"Sorry, what?" The Doctor questioned setting his torch into a holder.

"The story. Pandora's Box, with all the worst things in the world in it." Amy explained herself as the Doctor soniced the box. "That was my favorite book when I was a kid." Amy took notice of the Doctor and Stella eyeing her intently. "What's wrong?"

"Your favorite school topic. Your favorite story." The Doctor pointed out. "Never ignore a coincidence."

"Unless you're busy." Stella commented.

"In which case, always ignore a coincidence." The Doctor agreed moving back to the box.

"So can you open it?" River asked.

"Easily. Anyone can break into a prison, I've done it multiple times." Stella said with a wave of her hand. "I've even broken out, but it was a bit harder."

"But I'd rather we know what we're going to find first." The Doctor said leaning his face in close to the box.

"You won't have long to wait. It's already opening." River said reading her scans. "There are layers and layers of security protocols in there, and they're being disabled one by one. Like it's being unlocked from the inside."

"How long do we have?" The Doctor asked her.

"Hours at the most." River replied.

"What kind of security?" Stella asked.

"Everything. Deadlocks, time stops, matter lines." River listed off.

"What could need all that?" Stella cocked her head to the side, her hand pressed against the center of the pandorica.

"What could get past all that?" River countered.

"Think of the fear that went into making this box. What could inspire that level of fear? Hello, you. Have we met?" The Doctor pressed his cheek against the box.

"So why would it start to open now?" River questioned.

"No idea." The Doctor and Stella said at the same time.

"And how could Vincent have known about it? He won't even be born for centuries." Amy pointed out.

"The stones. These stones are great big transmitters, broadcasting a warning to everyone, everywhere, to every time zone. The Pandorica is opening." The Doctor explained to her.

"Everyone everywhere?" River stiffened.

"Even poor Vincent heard it, in his dreams. But what's in there? What could justify all this?" Stella plucked a lollipop from her pocket and popping it into her mouth, rolling it around thoughtfully.

"Stella, Doctor, everyone?" River questioned tensely.

"Anything that powerful, I'd know about it. Why don't I know?" The Doctor asked in frustration.

"Doctor, you said everyone could hear it. So who else is coming?" River asked gaining their attention.

"Oh." The Doctor looked to Stella who echoed his oh, both of them realizing the implications.

"Oh? Oh, what?" Amy asked.

"That's not a good thing, not at all." Stella groaned as she crossed her arms.

"Okay. If it is basically a transmitter, we should be able to fold back the signal." River said as they got to work, River pressing her computer against one of the tall stones.

"Doing it." The Doctor replied going around the bases of the Sarsen stones with his sonic screwdriver, Stella doing the same with the tips of her fingers glowing lightly.

"Doing what?" Amy asked.

"Stonehenge is transmitting. It's been transmitting for a while, so who heard?" River posed her question by way of explanation.

"Okay, should be feeding back to you now." The Doctor called out waving his sonic up and down each stone, Stella getting the rest. "River, what's out there?"

"Give me a moment." River replied working as fast as she could.

"River, quickly. Anything?" Stella pressed.

"Around this planet there are at least ten thousand starships." River answered, eyes wide in shock as she typed.

"At least?" Amy echoed, equally in shock.

"Ten thousand, a hundred thousand, a million, I don't know. There's too many readings." River shook her head.

"What kind of starships?" The Doctor questioned.

"Maintaining orbit." The nightmarish voice of the Daleks echoed in the cavernous room.

"I obey. Shield cover compromised on ion sectors."

"Daleks. Those are Daleks." Amy said, terrified.

"Scan detects no temporal activity."

"Soft grid scan commencing."

"Reverse thrust for compensatory stabilization."

"Daleks, Doctor, Stella." River gasped out.

"Launch preliminary armaments protocol."

"Yes. Okay, okay, okay, okay. Dalek fleet, minimum twelve thousand battleships, armed to the teeth." The Doctor started to pace tossing his sonic from hand to hand, then turned suddenly to face the others. "Ah! But we've got surprise on our side. They'll never expect three people to attack twelve thousand Dalek battleships."

"Because we'd be killed instantly." Stella pointed out. "So it would be a fairly short surprise."

"Forget surprise." The Doctor agreed, bopping himself on the head with his sonic.

"Course correction proceeding." The emotionless voice of a Cyberman sounded.

"Doctor, Stella, Cyberships." River's eyes widened.

"No, Dalek ships. Listen to them. Those are Dalek ships." The Doctor shot out.

"Yes. Dalek ships and Cyberships." River shot back.

"Well, we need to start a fight, turn them on each other. I mean, that's easy. It's the Daleks. They're so cross." The Doctor said quickly.

"Sontaran. Four battle fleets." River went on.

"Sontarans! Talk about cross, who stole all their handbags?" The Doctor tried to joke, but it was strained.

"Terileptil." River started to list, the Doctor reaching out taking hold of Stella's hand as she went on, both of them backing toward the Pandorica. "Slitheen, Chelonian, Nestene, Drahvin. Sycorax, Haemogoth, Zygon, Atraxi, Draconian."

"They're all here for the Pandorica." Stella breathed out.

"Doctor, Stella, there's more." River said looking to Stella more so, her eyes apologetic causing Stella's stomach to drop. "Viriditas, Simias, Muspelheim, Malum, Sibi, Durum, Nocebunt, Occidere, Adolebitque and…"

"And what?" Stella breathed out, her grip on the Doctor's hand tightening.

"…the Lacetra." River said softly.

"What are all those?" Amy asked.

"Viriditas, weed people that tried to take over the forest of Cheem once, Simias wanted to go planet of the apes on earth, Muspelheim are lava people that tried to take over their neighbors the Stagnum who live on a planet of lakes, Malum were shadow being intent on snuffing out every light in the universe, Sibi were voice thieves wanting a quiet universe, Durum was the leader of the universes largest space pirate armada, Nocebunt were like locust going from world to world consuming everything, Occidere were brainwave vampires, Adolebitque was a women with a clockwork army intent on killing my friends, the royal family of Regium…all beings and people that I've fought against my whole life." Stela explained robotically, her body stiff as a board as she seemed to stare at nothing with wide unblinking eyes.

"And the last ones, the Lacetra?" Amy asked hesitantly, seeing the fear in Stella's eyes. The Doctor wrapped his arms around her pulling her close.

"They're the ones that made me into a cyborg and trained me as their soldier…I destroyed their planet." Stella said with a bitter look, a darkness in her eyes that made Amy shiver at the depth of it.

"What are you? What could you possibly be?" The Doctor looked to the box before running for the door pulling Stella along with him.

-0-

They all gazed up at the sky as spaceships too numerous to count were buzzing around in the sky. There were so many that you could not tell the stars from the ships. There light lit up all of Stonehenge and the surrounding country, their engines filling the air with their thunderous sound causing the ground to shake.

"What do we do?" Amy asked looking to the Doctor and Stella.

"Doctor, listen to me." River stood next to the Doctor, Stella on his other side starring up at one particular fleet of red and green dragon fruit shaped ships. She was shaking and her breath was becoming strained. The Doctor had his arms wrapped around her holding her to his side. "Everything that ever hated you and Stella is coming here tonight. You can't win this. You can't even fight it." River said desperately. "Doctor, this once, just this one time, please, you have to take Stella run."

"Run where?" The Doctor snapped not looking away from the ships, holding Stella close to his side.

"Fight how?" River countered as the Doctor took out a pair of binoculars looking off into the distance.

"The greatest military machine in the history of the universe." The Doctor replied handing the binoculars to Stella who looked through them gaining a smile.

"What is? The Daleks?" Amy asked.

"No. No, no, no, no, no." The Doctor shook his head with a mad grin.

"The Romans." Stella said with an equally mad grin.

-0-

River and Stella returned to the Roman camp which was in a panic due to the sky alight with ships. As soon as they arrived and no sooner did they leap from their horses were they taken prisoner. They were lead to the tent where River had been playing Cleopatra and where the Roman Commander was waiting for them.

"So, I return to my command after one week and discover we've been playing host to Cleopatra." The Commander eyed them with a hard look. They were held back by two soldiers, their swords crossed in front of them. "Who's in Egypt….and dead."

"Yes. Funny how things work out." River smiled completely unperturbed at her fallen rues.

"And the laughs keep on coming." Stella said dryly as a spaceship buzzes them causing the whole ground to shake like a quake.

"The sky is falling and you make jokes." The Commander eyed them darkly. "Who are you?"

"When you fight Barbarians, what must they think of you?" River mused.

"Oh, riddles now." The Commander scoffed.

"Where do they think you come from?" River questioned.

"A place more deadly and more powerful and more impatient than their tiny minds can imagine." The Commander tried to be imposing, drawing his sword and pointing at them threateningly. River drew her gun quicker than they could blink, using it to disintegrate a wooden stand filled with ornaments while Stella deactivated her filter allowing her cybertronic lines to glow brightly.

"Where do we come from?" Stella asked the shocked commander. "Your world has visitors. You're all Barbarians now."

"What is that? What is she? Tell me what?" The commander demanded.

"A fool would say the work of the Gods, but you've been a soldier too long to believe there are Gods watching over us." River replied.

"There is, however, a man." Stella said solemnly. "And tonight he's going to need your help."

"Sir?" Someone called from outside.

"One moment." The Commander sheathed his sword walking away and had a whispered conference with a shady Centurion before coming back to them. "Well, it seems you have a volunteer."

The Commander left the tent with one last nod to the volunteer, his guards following, who had yet to step into the light. Stella walked forward slightly with a calculatingly searching look.

"What's your name soldier?" Stella asked, her arms crossed over her chest. The soldier stepped into the light and waved awkwardly.

"Hello Stella." He said and Stella's hands slapped across her mouth holding in a strangled cry of shock. River looked between them, her gun hand tensing ready to use it on the stranger if he proved a threat to Stella.

"Stella? Are you ok?" River asked, but Stella wasn't listening, her wide eyes streaming with tears, her head shaking from side to side in disbelief. "Do you know him? Stella?" Stella launched herself at Rory wrapping her arms around him as she cried, Rory returning the hug. "I suppose you do."

"Rory, I thought…how…I'm so sorry, I'm so, so sorry." Stella sobbed as Rory held her.

"Sorry? For what? This wasn't you fault." Rory assured her as he patted her back, rocking her back and forth.

"Yes it was, if I had just pulled myself together and sucked it up you wouldn't have had to take that shot for me." Stella shook her head stepping back though they kept hold of each other.

"Stella, you were suffering from…from…PTSD, what you went through, no one could just shake that off." Rory told her gently. "And I'm back now, right? So there's nothing to forgive." Stella nodded, still crying as Rory pulled her into another hug. "It's ok now."

"Hate to break this up, but we need to get back to the Doctor and Amy with your army." River pointed out.

"Amy." Rory smiled and Stella felt her heart drop. "Come on, my men are ready to go."

Stella felt her blood drain from her face, but she hoped that maybe when the two saw each other Amy might remember. They all mounted their horses and made for Stonehenge as fast as they could, Stella holding onto the hope of Amy remembering as hard as she could.

-0-

The Doctor moved around the Pandorica, sonic in hand, trying to discover the secrets that it held. Amy was wondering around the cavern, placing her torch into one of the holders.

"So what's this got to do with the Tardis?" Amy asked, breaking the silence.

"Nothing, as far as I know." The Doctor replied.

"But Vincent's painting." Amy said. "The Tardis was exploding. Is that going to happen?"

"One problem at a time. There's forcefield technology inside this box. If I can enhance the signal, I could extend it all over Stonehenge. Could buy us half an hour." The Doctor mused taking another device out of his pocket pressing it against the center of the box.

"What good is half an hour?" Amy asked as she took the red ring box from her pocket, opening it up to gaze upon the diamond ring once more.

"There are fruit flies live on Hoppledom Six that live for twenty minutes and they don't even mate for life." The Doctor answered, then his face scrunched up in confusion, lowering the device from the box. "There was going to be a point to that. I'll get back to you."

"So, is this going to be Stella's wedding ring?" Amy said turning to face him, holding up the ring box.

"I'm sorry?" The Doctor's eyes instantly snapping to the diamond ring.

"I found this in your pocket." Amy told him. "Doesn't really match her engagement ring, is it for her?"

"No. No, no, that's er, a memory." He walked over to her, his eyes remaining locked on the ring. "A friend of mine. Someone I lost." The Doctor reached for it, but Amy pulled it back from his hand. "Do you mind?"

"It's weird. I feel, I don't know, something." Amy looked at the shinning ring as the Doctor watched her closely.

"People fall out of the world sometimes, but they always leave traces. Little things we can't quite account for. Faces in photographs, luggage, half eaten meals…rings." The Doctor told her gently. "Nothing is ever forgotten, not completely." Amy gazed down at the ring intently. "And if something can be remembered, it can come back."

"So, when are you going to marry Stella?" Amy changed the subject quickly closing the ring box handing it back to him, trying to ignore how sad she suddenly felt.

The Doctor half smiled taking the ring popping his head with it before slipping it back into his pocket. He moved back over to the Pandorica with the strange device in hand, pausing a moment before speaking again.

"Remember that night you flew away with me and Stella?" The Doctor changed the subject.

"Of course I do." Amy frowned at the sudden change.

"And you asked us why we were taking you and I told you there wasn't a reason." The Doctor went on and Amy nodded. "I was lying."

"What, so you did have a reason?" Amy asked.

"Your house." The Doctor said.

"My house." Amy rolled her eyes.

"It was too big. Too many empty rooms. Does it ever bother you, Amy, that your life doesn't make any sense?" The Doctor asked leaning against the Pandorica, but before she could answer an energy weapon fired at them from the severed Cyberman arm forcing them to hide behind the Pandorica.

"What was that?" Amy asked as they both pressed themselves against the other side of the Pandorica to avoid the fire.

"Okay, I need a proper look. Got to draw its fire, give it a target." The Doctor said.

"How?" Amy asked.

"You know how sometimes I have really brilliant ideas?" The Doctor asked.

"Yes." Amy replied, her eyes casting skywards.

"Sorry." The Doctor said before he ran out holding his arms out wide. "Look at me, I'm a target!" He got shot at before he ran again hiding behind the base of a Sarsen. "Please don't tell Stella."

"What is that?" Amy asked.

"Cyberarm. Arm of Cyberman." The Doctor answered.

"And what's a Cyberman?" Amy asked.

"Oh, sort of part man, part robot." The Doctor said.

"What? Like Stella?" Amy questioned.

"Not at all, completely different." The Doctor shook his head, glancing around the corner only to pull back sharply to avoid enemy fire. "The organic part must have died out years ago. Now the robot part is looking for, well, fresh meat."

"What, us?" Amy panicked.

"It's just like being an organ donor, except you're alive and sort of screaming." The Doctor explained to her, then moved on quickly from his explanation. "I need to get round behind it. Could you draw its fire?"

"What, like you did?" Amy asked in disbelief.

"You'll be fine if you're quick. It's only got one arm, literally." The Doctor said giving her a thumbs up, Amy returning it before she ran out from her cover screaming as she went. The Doctor took the chance to run out the opposite way and pounce on the arm. "Come here!

"Doctor?" Amy called out cautiously as the Doctor struggled with the arm which was still firing wildly, barely managing to sonic it off.

"Scrambled its circuits, but stay where you are, it could be bluffing." The Doctor cautioned her as he sat up.

"Bluffing? It's an arm." Amy scoffed, as she cautiously approached.

"I said stay where you are!" The Doctor snapped harshly. Amy stepped back at his tone, leaning against the Pandorica s she watched the Doctor. She didn't notice something creeping up behind her until it was too late. It lassoed her ankle tightly so she couldn't escape.

"Doctor?" Amy gasped out before she was pulled to the floor.

"Amy!" The Doctor yelled. Then the Cyberarm gave the Doctor an electric shock, knocking him out.

"Doctor!" Amy screamed as she was attacked by the Cyberhead. She grabbed it by the handles holding it from her face as it wrapped around her arms. It fizzled, then the mask popped open to reveal a skull, which fell out causing Amy to scream louder. The mask kept snapping open and shut like it was trying to eat her. She hit it against a Sarsen over and over again until it let her go, then threw it to the floor. It crawled away from her like a wounded animal, Amy moving toward the Doctor. "Doctor?"

The Cyberhead fired a little dart into Amy's neck, her hand snapping to it pulling it from her neck. She open and closed her eyes as it started to take effect.

"You will be assimilated." The Cyberhead said.

"Yeah? You and whose body?" Amy mumbled and was answered by a headless, one armed Cyberman entering the room. It put its head back on before it went after the woozy Amy. She grabbed a torch using it to fend off the Cyberman until she was forced to back out through the big doors which closed behind as she fell to the ground. "Doctor?" The Cyberman tried to get in banging against the doors, then it went quiet. Amy cautiously pushed herself up making toward the doors. "Doctor?" A Roman short sword pierced the door causing her to scream stumbling back. The doors swung open to reveal the Cyberman skewered to the wood, its head hanging off of its body. The owner of the sword walked into the room. "Who, who are you?"

"Hello, Amy." Rory removed his helmet and Amy passed out, Rory barely catching her and laying her gently on a stone. "Whoa, whoa, whoa."

Stella had rushed in right after Rory taking the room in, her eyes landing on the Doctor's prone form. She rushed to his side relieved to feel his hearts beating a steady rhythm. She tried shaking him lightly, but he wouldn't wake up.

"Doctor, wake up, come on, we don't have time for this." Stella leaned in close to his lips, just a hairs breathe away, then dipped down to his ear. "The fish fingers and custard have run out."

"What?!" The Doctor gasped awake.

"Morning sleepy head." Stella chirped.

"Amy? Where's Amy?" The Doctor scrambled to his feet pulling Stella up with him.

"Back there with Rory." Stella said leading him over to the couple.

"She's fine, Doctor. Just unconscious." Rory assured him as he scanned her with his sonic.

"Okay. Yes, she's sedated, that's all. Half an hour, she'll be fine." The Doctor checked Amy over them looked to the Roman soldiers. "Okay, Romans. Good. I was just wishing for Romans. Good old River and I bet my girl Stella was quite convincing." He kissed Stella's cheek, taking note of the faint taste of tears, but also noticed how happy she was making him smile. "How many?

"Fifty men up top, volunteers. What about that thing?" Rory asked.

"Fifty? You're not exactly a legion." The Doctor pouted looking to Stella.

"Your friend and fiancé were very persuasive, but it's a tough sell." Rory shrugged, not sure about the Doctor's lack of reaction.

"Yes, I know that, Rory. I'm not exactly one to miss the obvious." The Doctor rolled his eyes as he looked over a cyber stalk pile of weapons.

"Well, not for very long in any since." Stella looked on in amusement as the Doctor hefted up some large guns, feeling better than she had in what seemed a month of Sundays.

"But we need everything we can get." The Doctor went on, ignoring Stella's remark. "Okay, Cyberweapons." He looked over the guns. "This is basically a sentry box, so headless wonder here was a sentry. Probably got himself duffed up by the locals." The Doctor popped the cyberman with one of the guns. "Never underestimate a Celt."

"Doctor?" Rory tried.

"Hush, Rory. Thinking. Why leave a Cyberman on guard, unless it's a Cyberthing in the box. But why would they lock up one of their own? Okay, no, not a Cyberthing, but what? What?" The Doctor got right up into Rory's face as he went off on his rant. "No, I'm missing something obvious, Rory. Something big. Something right slap in front of me. I can feel it."

"Yeah, I think you probably are." Rory agreed.

"I'll get it in a minute, come along Stella." The Doctor hefted the weapons up on his shoulder heading out the door.

"Just give him a moment." Stella said with an amused smile. The sound of the Doctor dropping the weapons reached their ears making Stella giggle. Then the Doctor slowly returned, hesitantly walking up to Rory eyeing him curiously before reaching out and pocking Rory causing him to rock on his feet.

"Hello again." The Doctor said.

"Hello." Rory replied.

"How've you been?" The Doctor asked casually stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"Good. Yeah. Good. I mean, Roman." Rory shrugged.

"Rory, I'm not trying to be rude, but you died." The Doctor pointed out.

"Yeah, I know. I was there." Rory said.

"You died and then you were erased from time. You didn't just die, you were never born at all. You never existed." The Doctor said, trying to understand.

"Erased? What does that mean?" Rory asked looking to Stella, who was frowning, still feeling guilty.

"How can you be here?" The Doctor asked.

"I don't know. It's kind of fuzzy." Rory answered.

"Fuzzy?" Stella echoed.

"Well, I died and turned into a Roman. It's very distracting. Did she miss me?" Rory looked to Amy, stroking the hair back from her face lovingly and now Stella was really feeling the guilt. Before either time traveler could answer something shook the ground. They ran out to find that the circular designs on the Pandorica were glowing green and moving like cog wheels. "What is it? What's happening?"

"The final phase. It's opening." The Doctor said taking hold of Stella's hand.

"Now the fun really starts." Stella frowned contrary to her words. The Doctor moved back to the Pandorica taking out even more tools while Rory ran up to the surface to be with his men. Stella took up a comm holding it up. "River? You there? What's going on?"

"You're surrounded. Have you got a plan?" River spoke into her comm form where she sat on her horse at the crest of a hill, watching the myriad of shining spaceships buzzing Stonehenge, lighting it up with spotlights.

"Yes. Now hurry up and get the Tardis here." The Doctor ordered taking the comm from Stella, causing River to roll her eyes at him. "I need equipment." The Doctor hung up as he snapped back to his feet eyeing the glowing box. "What are you? They're all here, all of them, all for you. What could you possibly be?"

"Doctor, they're getting pretty rowdy up there." Stella commented as the ground shook again.

"Then we better go say hi." The Doctor took her hand, pulling her along up the stairs out of the Underhinge. The Romans were scrambling around, frightened at the ship filled sky. They swooped in low lighting up the surrounding area and causing the ground to shake, filling the air with horrendous noise. Suddenly the loud sound of feedback ripped through the air.

"Sorry, sorry, dropped it. Hello, Stonehenge! Who takes the Pandorica, takes the universe. But bad news, everyone,…" The Doctor clambered up on to the Altar stone. "Because guess who? Ha! Listen, you lot, you're all whizzing about. It's really very distracting." They were buzzed a few more times. "Could you all just stay still a minute because I am talking!" The Doctor yelled loudly, his voice reverberating through the air, causing everything to go still. "The question of the hour is, who's got the Pandorica? Answer, I do. Next question. Who's coming to take it from me? Come on! Look at me. No plan, no back up, no weapons worth a damn. Oh, and something else. I don't have anything to lose!" The Doctor cast a glance to Stella, rethinking that last statement, but no time to take it back. "So, if you're sitting up there in your silly little spaceship, with all your silly little guns, and you've got any plans on taking the Pandorica tonight, just remember who's standing in your way. Remember every black day I ever stopped you, and then, and then, do the smart thing." He went on in a quitter voice. "Let somebody else try first.

"Good job love." Stella grinned as the ships sped off.

"That'll keep them squabbling for half an hour." The Doctor hopped off of the Altar taking hold of Stella spinning her around before pulling her into his arms looking to the army. "Romans."

-0-

The Doctor, Stella, and Rory returned back to the Pandorica as soon as all of the ships were out of sight.

"They're still out there. What do we do now?" Rory asked them.

"If Stella and I can stop whatever's in this box getting out, then they'll go home." The Doctor replied.

"Right." Rory nodded unsurely looked to Stella questioningly.

"Fingers crossed." Stella offered holding up her crossed fingers with an overly bright smile that fell as soon as she spotted a certain ginger Scotswoman walking groggily into the chamber.

"Rory, I'm sorry." The Doctor said gently as she took Stella's hand into his. "You're going to have to be very brave now."

"Oh, my head." Amy grumbled as she walked past Rory, not even sparring him a glance, going straight up to the Doctor and Stella.

"Ah." The Doctor opened his mouth wide.

"Ah." Amy mimicked as the Doctor looked down her throat.

"Just your basic knock-out drops." The Doctor reported.

"Here, suck on this, it'll make you feel better." Stella stuck a purple, blue, and pink sucker into Amy's mouth.

"Mmmm…Berry Blast." Amy smiled around the treat.

"Yeah, every layer is a different flavor of berry, wait till you get to the snoz-berries." Stella said taking out a milk chocolate sucker for herself that tasted of hot chocolate going so far as to fill like the warm liquid was going down her throat, she was going to need the extra sugar.

"And get some fresh air, you'll be fine." The Doctor added.

"Is it safe up there?" Amy asked.

"Not remotely, but it's fresh." The Doctor replied taking out his sonic and turning to the Pandorica.

"Fine." Amy said turning around almost running into a hopeful looking Rory. "Oh, you're the guy, yeah? The one who did the swordy thing."

"Yeah." Rory asked glancing down at Amy's mimicked swording movements.

"Well, thanks for the swording." Amy said with no recognition of the man before her as she headed out of the underhinge. "Nice swording.

"No problem. My men are up there. They'll look after you." Rory said weakly, to stunned to operate.

"Good. Love a Roman." Amy called out behind her before she was out of the room.

"She doesn't remember me. How can she not remember me?" Rory demanded.

"Because you never existed." Stella said despondently.

"There are cracks. Cracks in time." The Doctor informed Rory, still working on the Pandorica. "There's going to be a huge explosion in the future, on one particular day. And every other moment in history is cracking around it."

"So how does that work? What kind of explosion? What exploded?" Rory questioned, his agitation clear.

' _And for those of us who can't read the base code of the universe?'_

' _Amy's time.'_

"Doesn't matter." Stella said quickly, knowing what the Doctor was thinking of with just one shared look. "The cracks are everywhere now. Get too close to them and you can fall right out of the universe.

"So I fell through a crack and now I was never born?" Rory asked bitterly.

"Basically." Stella winced. "I'm so sorry Rory."

"Well, how did I end up here?" Rory asked.

"We don't know, you shouldn't have." The Doctor said looking to Rory, walking right up to him. "What happened? From your point of view, what physically happened?"

"I was in the cave, with you, Stella, and Amy. I was dying, and then I was just here, a Roman soldier. A proper Roman. Head full of Roman stuff. A whole other life, just here like I'd woken up from a dream." Rory told them. "I started to think it was a dream, you both and Amy and Leadworth. And then today, in the camp, the men were talking about the visitors. The girl with the red hair." Rory laughed without humor. "I thought you'd come back for me. But she can't even remember me."

"Oh, shut up." The Doctor said.

"What?" Rory looked at them barely catching the ring box the Doctor tossed him.

"Go get her." Stella smiled.

"But I don't understand. Why am I here?" Rory asked.

"Because you are. The universe is big. It's vast and complicated and ridiculous, and sometimes, very rarely, impossible things just happen and we call them miracles, and that's the theory." The Doctor told him. "Nine hundred years, only ever seen one," The Doctor pulled Stella closer to his side. "but this would do me another."

"Now get upstairs. She's Amy and she's surrounded by Romans." Stella pointed out. "I'm not sure history can take it."

Rory looked to the exit then back to the Doctor and Stella, before he nodded racing up the stairs.

"They'll be fine." The Doctor said taking Stella's hand in his.

"I hope so." Stella nodded, gripping the Doctor's hand. "I'd give anything for them to be happy again."

-0-

The Doctor glanced over to Stella who was looking over her readings projected before her. She had gotten the idea from Iron Man, not that she'd admit it out loud. She raised her hands moving the screens she no longer needed to the side and focusing on some of the more useful ones. She had also managed a 3D image of the box that detailed the traps as well as keeping track of when they were deactivated.

To anyone else she would have looked completely at ease and in her element of research, trying to find anything she could on the Pandorica. To the Doctor though he could see the subtle shaking of her hands, the paling of her skin, and the way she had to bite her lip to get it to stop trembling.

Finding nothing of any use she let out a frustrated sound shutting down her screens. She dug the heels of her hands into her eyes and then rubbed her face in agitation.

"Stella, maybe you should take a break." The Doctor said as he walked over to her.

"We don't have time, this thing is opening and we don't know if what's inside is good, bad, or indifferent." Stella kicked halfheartedly at the dirt. "I can't find anything on this box, the internet in this time period is even worse than 2020."

"Look, River is coming with the Tardis then we'll be able to access any kind of research in any form across all of time and space." The Doctor told her as he made her sit down on the ledge of the Tardis. "We're going up against a lot and you are still on edge from…"

"I know, I know…" Stella sighed taking in a deep breath. "They're coming, out of all the creatures in this universe it had to be them." Stella shook her head. "If the way I reacted with the silurians is any indication of how I'll react to the Lacerta…" Stella looked up at the Doctor. "We just got Rory back, I can't risk anything like what happened before to repeat itself.

"It won't." The Doctor kneeled down in front of her taking her hands into his kissing them. "I promise you that everything will work out. You trust me, right?"

"Of course." Stella nodded, glancing over to where the Romans were going over the weapons in the vault.

"Then let's see how River is getting along with the Tardis." The Doctor stood up grabbing a comm from where he had left it next to the Pandorica and contacted River. "The Tardis, where is it? Hurry up."

"Don't raise your voice, don't look alarmed, just listen." River said and instantly Stella rushed next to the Doctor. "They're not real. They can't be. They're all right here in the story book. Those actual Romans. The ones I sent you, the ones you're with right now. They're all in a book in Amy's house. A children's picture book."

"What are you even doing there?" The Doctor questioned looking over to the Romans.

"It doesn't matter. The Tardis went wrong." River replied. "Doctor, how is this possible?"

"Something's using her memories." Stella breathed out. "Amy's memories."

"But how?" River questioned.

"You said something had been there." Stella took the comm from the Doctor.

"Yes. There's burn marks on the grass outside." River replied. "Landing patterns."

"If they've been to her house, they could have used her psychic residue." The Doctor took the comm back. "Structures can hold memories, that's why houses have ghosts."

"They could've taken a snapshot of Amy's memories. But why?" Stella asked, making sure to keep her voice down.

"Doctor, who are those Romans?" River asked.

"Projections, or duplicates." The Doctor offered, glancing round the Pandorica. "Stella?"

"I've scanned them and they are perfectly human." Stella said with a dark look. "To perfect to actually be human. Other than that my scans aren't being very useful, something is shielding them."

"But they were helping us. My lipstick even worked." River argued.

"They might think they're real." Stella replied, still getting normal perfectly perfect human readings. "The perfect disguise."

"They actually believe their own cover story, right until they're activated." The Doctor nodded.

"Doctor, that Centurion." River said in a tense voice.

"What about Rory?" Stella took back the comm.

"It's a trap. It has to be." River told them. "They used Amy to construct a scenario you'd believe, to get close to you."

"Why? Who'd do that? What for? It doesn't make sense." The Doctor said taking the comm just as an explosion sounded on the other end. "River? River? River, what's happening?"

"I don't know. It's the engines. Doctor, Stella, there's something wrong with the Tardis, like something else is controlling it." River struggled, more explosions going off.

"You're flying it wrong." The Doctor called out.

"I'm flying it perfectly." River snapped back.

"Where are you? What's the date reading?" Stella questioned.

"It's the 26th of June, 2010." River replied.

"You need to get out of there now. Any other time zone. Just go." The Doctor urged.

"I can't break free." River said as more chaos sounded.

"Well, then shut down the Tardis. Shut down everything!" Stella yelled into the comm over the noise of the Tardis.

"I can't!" River cried out.

' _Silence will fall. Silence will fall.'_

"Someone else is flying it. An external force. I've lost control." River told them.

"But how? Why?" The Doctor questioned. A high pitched noise filled the chamber causing the Romans to slump over for a moment, then reactivate.

"Listen to me, just land her anywhere. Emergency landing, now." Stella ordered, absentmindedly rubbing her ear, not realizing the significance of the noise she had heard. "There are cracks in time. We've seen them everywhere, and they're getting wider. The Tardis exploding is what causes them, but we can stop the cracks ever happening if you just land her. It's not safe."

Suddenly the Pandorica started to open allowing a brilliant white light to spill out into the room. The Doctor and Stella looked over to the large box, watching it intently.

"Well, now. Ready to come out, are we?" The Doctor asked.

"Nice timing." Stella frowned in suspicion as the Doctor soniced the inside of the Pandorica. "Theta, I don't like this, something is really wrong.

"Doctor?" River asked. "Stella? I'm down. I've landed."

"Okay, just walk out of the doors. If there's no one inside, the Tardis engines shut down automatically." The Doctor told her. "Just get out of there."

"I'm going." River said and they could hear her running for the doors.

"Run!" The Doctor urged just as the Roman's fingers drop away from their hands to reveal weapons. Stella spotting them first backed up in front of the Doctor.

"They're Autons." Stella breathed out.

"Doctor! Stella, I can't open the doors!" River called out.

"Amy!" The Doctor said.

"Stella, Doctor, I can't open the doors! Doctor, Stella, please, I've got seconds!" River shouted as the Doctor and Stella were grabbed hold of by the autron soldiers, the Doctor's back to the Pandorica.

"Plastic Romans. Duplicates, driven by the Nestene Consciousness, eh? Deep cover, but what for? What are you doing? What's in there, eh? What's coming out?" The Doctor questioned.

"The Pandorica is ready." One of the soldiers replied.

"What, do you mean it's open?" The Doctor asked as the White allegedly Supreme new style Dalek trundled forward.

"You have been scanned, assessed, understood, Doctor." White said as Red and Yellow beam in behind it. "Scanned? Scanned by what, a box?"

"Your limits and capacities have been extrapolated." White said as Cybermen, Judoon and Sontarans beam down. There was also the Viriditas who were made up of various writhing sickly colored weeds, sharp splinter like teeth, thorns covering their bodies, and red eyes. The Malum were staying to the outskirts of the group, the shadowy wisps staying clear of the light as best they could. Then there were the Simias, a mixture of great apes and chimps decked out in high tech medieval inspired armor.

The last to come in were the Lacerta who had legs like that of Velociraptors, humanoid head that could be likened to that of a common Earth garden lizard in subtle ways, long sleek flexible tails, fin like spines like that of the Iguana followed the length of their vertebrae, their hands had but three clawed fingers, and all three of them had golden colored eyes. Their torso and arms, though covered in thick metallic colored scales, could only be likened to that of a human.

There were three of them, the two more burly of the trio was colored in shades of dark red, streaks of orange accenting them and they wore black body suits with pants that reached to their knees leaving their calves and feet bare, the sleeves ending mid arm, utility belts of dark brown with holsters for their weapons rested on their hips along with a bandolier across their chests filled with amo. The final and lither of the group was a dark blue female with green streaks. Judging by the bars on her uniform she was in charge.

"The Pandorica is ready." The sontarran said.

"Ready for what?" The Doctor asked, glancing over at Stella who was forced over to the Lacerta. She was pale, shaking with fear as they gripped her, their claws cutting into her skin.

"Ready for you." White replied as the light faded revealing a chair with heavy restraints.

"We'll you're not getting us." Stella gritted out, straining against the grunts that held her.

"My dear, who said anything about putting you both in the Pandorica." Dionis, as Stella remembered her name to be, hissed out in a pleased voice, grinning to reveal sharply pointed teeth.

"No." Stella shook her head, eyes wide, She couldn't be separated form the Doctor, anything she could stand, but for that. "NO!"

"Stay away from her! Stella!" The Doctor struggled against the grip of two Romans, one of the Lacerta grunts bashing Stella on the head knocking her to the ground when she tried to run to him. A disrupter shot from Dionis made sure she stayed down.

"A life for a life I think." Dionis hissed. "The life of my father, your creator whom you slaughtered, for the life of your Doctor. A fitting revenge I dare say."

"He…he…he…deserved…it…it…it…" Stella stuttered out as her body seized up the harder Dionis pressed down on her.

The Doctor was dragged closer and closer to the Pandorica despite his desperate struggle, then fastened into the seats inside it. His arms, torso and head are clamped in place and all his and Stella's old enemies stare at him.

"You lot, working together. An alliance. How is that possible?" The Doctor's gaze shifting from them to Stella, the cyborg starting to twitch as her systems rebooted.

"The cracks in the skin of the universe." White said.

"All reality is threatened." Stark said.

"Light and Darkness would end." A shadow hissed.

"All universes will be deleted." Cyberleader said.

"What? And you've come to me for help?" The Doctor questioned.

"No. We will save the universe from you!" Stark replied.

"From me?" The Doctor gaped at them.

"All projections correlate. All evidence concurs. The Doctor will destroy the universe." Cyberleader informed him.

"No, no, no. You've got it wrong." The Doctor argued.

"The Pandorica was constructed to ensure the safety of the Alliance." Cyberleader responded.

"A scenario was devised from the memories of your companion." One of the weed people said in a voice like the crunching of dry leaves.

"A trap the Doctor and Stella could not resist." Dionis grinned viciously as she stepped on Stella's chest.

"The cracks in time are the work of the Doctor. It is confirmed." White added.

"No. no, no, not me, the Tardis." The Doctor tried. "And we're not in the Tardis, are we?"

"Only the Doctor and Stella can pilot the Tardis." White said.

"Please, listen to me!" The Doctor cried out.

"You will be prevented." White said.

"Total event collapse! Every sun will supernova at every moment in history. The whole universe will never have existed. Please, just listen!" The Doctor struggled.

"Seal the Pandorica." Cyberleader ordered.

"No! Please, listen to me!" The Doctor yelled. "The Tardis is exploding right now and we're the only ones who can stop it! Listen to me!" The Doctor looked to Stella just to see grab hold of Dionis's leg twisting it sharply until it broke allowing her to struggle to her feet reaching for the Doctor, one of Dionis's guards dagger poised to strike. "Stella!"

"Doctor!" Stella screamed as the Pandorica closed.


	13. Chapter 13

**I know the time between my stories has been pretty long, but through no fault of my own everyone around me seems to think that when I have time off it means I want to hang out with them…yeah. I've worked really hard on these stories and would appreciate any and all feedback that you the readers have for me. Give the good reviews or the bad ones, either way I'd be happy for them.**

-0-

1,894 years later a red pinwheel turns in the breeze flowing through the simple English garden. A fine house of two stories was nestled in the middle of the garden made up of brown stone. Upstairs, a little red haired girl was saying her prayers….more or less.

"Dear Santa." Little Amelia prayed, kneeled down next to her bed with her hands clasped in front of her. "Thank you for the dolls and pencils and the fish. It's Easter now, so I hope I don't wake you, but, honest, it is an emergency." Amelia hesitated, casting a quick glance at the ominous crack. "There's a crack in my wall. Aunt Sharon says it's just an ordinary crack, but I know it's not, because at night there's voices. So, please, please, could you send someone to fix it, or a policeman, or…" A strange wind whistles outside catching Amelia's attention. "Back in a moment."

Amelia snatched up a flashlight as she ran to the window gazing out hopefully, but there was nothing to be seen in the garden. Even the night sky was devoid of light save the moon. The little red head girl frowned in disappointment at the empty garden before turning back into her room.

-0-

Amelia sat before her psychiatrist who was looking at a painting of the moon and stars. Her aunt Sharon was there as well looking on in concern for her niece. Amelia herself was having a hard time not trying to bite the woman.

"It's a lovely painting, Amelia." Christine said turning the painting so Amelia could see it as well. "And what are all these?"

"Stars." Amelia answered simply.

"Oh, Amelia." Sharon sighed in disappointment.

"Tell you what, shall we go outside?" Christine said and the three headed outside the front door, standing just within the light of the foyer. "What do you see, Amelia?"

"The moon." Amelia gazed up at the inky expanse broken only by the light of the moon.

"And what else?" Christine asked.

"Just the dark." Amelia said.

"But no stars." Christine said. "If there were stars up there, we'd be able to see them, wouldn't we?" The psychiatrist kneeled down to Amy's height turning the girl to face her. "Amelia, look at me. You know this is all just a story, don't you? You know there's no such thing as stars."

Soon after they got their answer from Amelia they all went back inside, Aunt Sharon sending Amelia off to bed so she could talk to the psychiatrist alone, not wanting Amelia to hear what they were saying. It did no good though as Amelia could still hear them, their voices drifting up from downstairs to where Amelia stood at the head of the stairs hidden behind the banister.

"But there's bound to be a bit of her that feels alone. Amelia's a really good person." Christine said comfortingly to Sharon. "It's quite common, actually. Throughout history, people have talked about seeing stars in the sky. God knows where it comes from."

"I just don't want her growing up and joining one of those Star Cults. I don't trust that Richard Dawkins." Sharon said

Christine and Sharon walked across the hallway from the kitchen to the living room, Amelia watching them with a frown. Suddenly her attention was taken by someone in a red fez putting a leaflet through the door then going on his way. Amelia ran down to the door snatching up the pamphlet titled The Anomaly, and features the Pandorica as well as a statue titled as the Lady Pandorica at the National Museum. Written on it in red ink were the words 'Come along, Pond' with an arrow pointing to the museum.

-0-

Early the next morning Amelia and Sharon walked up to the museum. They were wrapped in their winter clothes quickening their pace to get into the warmth. As soon as they were inside Amelia det off for the Pandorica.

"Come on, Aunt Sharon." Amelia pulled her Aunt along through the crowds of the museum.

"Oh, look at that. That's good, isn't it?" Aunt Sharon pointed to one of the exhibits.

"Not that. This way." Amelia pressed on.

"But we're not looking at anything." Sharon said.

"This way!" Amelia called out as she got ahead of her Aunt.

"Amelia!" Sharon called after her.

Amelia stopped a short moment to look at the exhibit of petrified Daleks before continuing on. She paused once again to look at the statue of a lovely young woman with strange lines covering her body reaching out before her for the Pandorica, the plaque labeling her as "The Lady Pandorica". The petrified woman's hair was flowing out behind her along with her skirt, looking as though she had been turned to stone mid run, and there were rips on the belle sleeves of her blouse, but it was her face that was most striking. It spoke of desperation, a deep unyielding desperation to get to what she was reaching for.

She glanced at the lady one more time before pushing through the people standing looking at the Pandorica. Someone snatched her Original Cola drink from her, out of sight before she could spot them. When she turned back to the Pandorica there was a post-it note stuck to it saying 'Stick around Pond.'

Behind her the man in a Fez holding her Original Cola paused at the entrance looking up at the Lady Pandorica with a deep physically pained look in his eyes. He reached into his pocket taking out a cluster of small white and purple roses setting them down at the feet of the statue and sending her a soft kiss before he disappeared.

"Amelia!" Sharon called out. Amelia ran hiding behind the exhibit of the Lady Pandorica amongst the arrangement of flowers and shrubbery that covered the base. "Amelia? Amelia?" Closing time came and still Sharon could find no sign of her niece. "Amelia!"

'Amelia Pond, please go to the reception, please. Your aunt is waiting for you there. Amelia Pond, please go to reception.' Is called over the speakers, but still Amelia does not come out until all is quiet and she is sure she's alone. She creeped out from behind the Lady Pandorica display, knocking down the small cluster of white flowers that had been place there.

"Sorry." Amelia said as she picked up the cluster of flowers, turning them over thoughtfully in her hand before she placed them back in front of the statue. She quickly returned to the Pandorica and removed the post-it note. She put her hand on the Pandorica which triggered the Pandorica to open. Amelia backed away wincing at the brightness of the light, only lowering her hand when the person inside spoke to her.

"Okay, kid. This is where it gets complicated." Amy said as she sagged in the chair of the Pandorica.

-0-

1,894 years previously Rory had the body of Amy lying across his lap having shot her against his will. He had tried, desperately struggled to against whatever was controlling him, but he couldn't stop it. He had raised his hand, his fingers had fallen away, and he had shot her.

"So the universe ended. You missed that, in 102 AD." Rory said, his face streaked with tears and his voice thick with pain. "I suppose this means you and I never get born at all. Twice, in my case." He forced out a weak laugh. "You would have laughed at that. Please laugh." Rory begged brokenly. "The Doctor and Stella said the universe was huge and ridiculous, and sometimes there were miracles. I could do with a ridiculous miracle about now.

The Doctor popped in from thin air with a crackle of energy, wearing a red fez and carrying a mop.

"Rory!" The Doctor cheered upon spotting the shocked Centurion. "Listen, she's not dead. Well, she is dead, but it's not the end of the world. Well, it is the end of the world. Actually, it's the end of the universe. Oh, no." The Doctor looked down at the mop in his hands. "Hang on."

The Doctor vanished again.

"Doctor? Doctor!" Rory called out and the Doctor reappeared, without the mop this time.

"You need to get me out of the Pandorica." The Doctor said.

"But you're not in the Pandorica." Rory replied in confusion.

"Yes, I am." The Doctor shot right back. "Well, I'm not now, but I was back then. Well, back now from your point of view, which is back then from my point of view." The Doctor ranted on only confusing Rory even more. "Time travel, you can't keep it straight in your head. It's easy to open from the outside. Just point and press." The Doctor gave Rory his sonic screwdriver. "Now go." The Doctor vanished and returned. "Oh, and when you're done, leave my screwdriver in her top pocket. Good luck."

He disappeared once again, not coming back this time.

"What do you mean? Done what?" Rory called out, but there was no answer. Gently setting Amy on the ground giving her one last lingering look of guilt, love, and loss he stood to his feet rushing for the Pandorica. As soon as she was inside he glanced down at the sonic before pointing it at the Pandorica opening it up with a press of a button. The Doctor looked up with red rimmed eyes and streaks of tears marring his cheeks, his face a mask of shock as he was released from the chair.

"Rory?!" The Doctor blurted out in a croaky voice. "How did you do that?"

"You gave me this." Rory said as the Doctor stood and stepped down from the Pandorica taking his screwdriver from his own pocket, using his free hand to wipe at is face with the back of her sleeve.

"No, I didn't." The Doctor sniffed, schooling his features.

"You did. Look at it." Rory argued. The Doctor slowly extended his sonic touching his screwdriver to Rory's causing them to spark.

"Temporal energy. Same screwdriver at different points in its own time stream." The Doctor said. "Which means it was me who gave it to you. Me from the future." The Doctor smiled weakly. "I've got a future. That's nice." As the Doctor slipped his sonic back into his pocket, Rory still holding his other from the future, something that ripped his hearts caught his eye. He sprinted over to his Starlight, now no more than a fossilized statue. "Stella! No, no, no, no…."

She had escaped from the grasp of the lizard men, the female lying in on the ground holding her leg to her chest in pain, and was shoving past one of the Dalek. Her hand was desperately outstretched before her mid run trying to reach for him before the Pandorica closed, but she was too late. The Doctor slowly reached up gently cupping her stone face running his thumbs over her rough cheeks as tears slipped down from his eyes.

"What happened to her? What happened to all of them?" Rory gasped out. Not only was Stella stone, but so was everyone who was in the chamber when the universe had ended.

"History has collapsed. Whole races have been deleted from existence. These are just like after-images." The Doctor replied mechanically, his voice laced with pain. "Echoes. Fossils in time. The footprints of the….never-were."

"Er, what does that mean?" Rory asked gently.

"Total event collapse. The universe literally never happened." The Doctor looked into Stella's stone eyes, so cold and distant, not a trace of the warmth he adored.

His eyes dropped from hers, not able to look into them anymore, falling on the statue behind her with the dagger still poised to strike, frozen barely an inch from Stella's back. The Doctor walked around Stella and pushed it over to the ground, causing it to shatter on impact. Not stopping there he did the same to the other stone Lacerta, pushing it down allowing them to shatter on the stone ground landing on the injured one shattering her as well.

"Doctor, how can we be here? What's keeping us safe?" Rory asked hesitantly as the Doctor starred down at the remains of the statues, breathing hard in his anger and loss.

"Nothing." The Doctor shook his head, his arms flopping to his sides as he hung his head. "Eye of the storm, that's all. We're just the last light to go out." The Doctor spotted a cluster of small white and purple roses at his feet, slowly reaching down and picking them up holding them close to his hearts. Suddenly he looked up to Rory. "Amy. Where's Amy?"

-0-

Rory led the Doctor back up to the surface, the Doctor rushing over to Amy who was covered in a blanket while her fiancé hovered over them looking on brokenly.

"I killed her." Rory said tearfully.

"Oh, Rory." The Doctor sighed as he looked over Amy.

"Doctor, what am I?" Rory questioned.

"You're a Nestene duplicate. A lump of plastic with delusions of humanity." The Doctor answered.

"But I'm Rory now. Whatever was happening, it's stopped." Rory said desperately as the doctor scanned Amy with his sonic, looking over the readings. "I'm Rory."

"That's software talking." The Doctor argued then heard Stella's voice in his head.

'I'd give anything for them to be happy again'

"Can you help her? Is there anything you can do?" Rory begged, breaking the Doctor out of her thoughts.

"Yeah, probably, if I had the time." The Doctor stood up dismissively.

"The time?" Rory echoed indignantly as he snapped to his feet.

"All of creation has just been wiped from the sky." The Doctor stepped over Amy's prone form looking up at the sky, a painful stab to his hearts at the starless expanse of black. "Do you know how many lives now never happened? All the people who never lived? Your girlfriend isn't more important than the whole universe."

"She is to me!" Rory belted the Doctor straight across the face sending him crashing to the ground.

"Welcome back, Rory Williams!" The Doctor sprung back up, his jaw cracking back into place. "Sorry. Had to be sure. Hell of a gun-arm you're packing there. Right, we need to get her downstairs. And take that look off your plastic face. You're getting married in the morning."

The Doctor walked away, Rory scrambling to pick up Amy and follow him down back to the Pandorica. The Doctor placed Amy gently inside the large box as Rory hovered around him.

"So you've got a plan, then?" Rory asked hopefully.

"Bit of a plan, yeah. Memories are more powerful than you think, and Amy Pond is not an ordinary girl. Grew up with a time crack in her wall. The universe pouring through her dreams every night." The Doctor explained to Rory as he made sure that Amy was all set up. "The Nestenes took a memory print of her and got a bit more than they bargained for, like you. Not just your face, but your heart and your soul." The Doctor gently placed his fingers against her head like a mind meld. "I'm leaving her a message for when she wakes up, so she knows what's happening."

The Doctor stepped back and sealed Amy inside the Pandorica.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. What are you doing?" Rory demanded as the Pandorica sealed up.

"Saving her." The Doctor replied. "This box is the ultimate prison. You can't even escape by dying. It forces you to stay alive."

"But she's already dead." Rory said.

"Well, she's mostly dead." The Doctor corrected him. "The Pandorica can stasis-lock her that way. Now, all it needs is a scan of her living DNA and it'll restore her."

"Where's it going to get that?" Rory asked.

"In about two thousand years." The Doctor checked his watch.

"Could you do that for Stella to?" Rory asked hesitantly.

"No…she….she doesn't exist…anymore. There's no way to get a live DNA signature." The Doctor took a shaky breath looking over to Stella. He knew that the only reason he was doing all of this was because she'd want him to save Amy and Rory, but after they were safe…

-0-

Amy fell out of the Pandorica bracing herself against the floor on her hand and knees, gasping for air.

"Are you all right? Who are you?" Amelia questioned.

"I'm fine. I'm supposed to rest. Got to rest, the Doctor says." Amy said in a breathy voice.

"What doctor?" Amelia asked.

"He's in here." Amy tapped her head as she struggled to stand up. "Left a message in my head like I'm an answerphone. Where am I?" Amy looked around herself. "Hang on. National Museum, right? I was here once when I was a little…" Amy's eyes widened as she looked down at Amelia. "Yeah, complicated." Amy stood in front of Amelia checking the young girl's height and picking at her hair. "Let's see, it's what, 1996?"

"Who are you?" Amelia asked watching as Amy moved around the room.

"It's a long story." Amy replied then spotted the timeline of the Pandorica on the far wall. "Oh. A very long story."

It was depicted starting at 118AD when the Pandorica was taken back to Rome under armed guard along with a statue of 'The Lady Pandorica.'. In 420AD it was raided by the Franks, then in 1120AD they were the prized possessions of the Knights Templar, and in 1231 they were donated to the Vatican.

-0-

The Doctor took River's vortex manipulator from her bag and strapped it to his wrist. He checked over the readings as he typed in his destination. He tried his best not to look over at Stella's stone form, his hearts aching with pain.

"She's going to be in that box for two thousand years?" Rory asked in worry.

"Yeah, but we're taking a shortcut." The Doctor said finishing up with the manipulator as he talked to Rory. "River's vortex manipulator. Rubbish way to time travel, but the universe is tiny now. We'll be fine."

"So hang on. The future's still there, then. Our world." Rory said uncertainly.

"A version of it. Not quite the one you know. Earth alone in the sky." The Doctor explained as he held out his arm with the manipulator on it. "Let's go and have a look. You put your hand there." The Doctor held up his arm, but Rory continued to look at the Pandorica. "Don't worry. Should be safe."

"That's not what I'm worried about." Rory replied looking to the Pandorica.

"She'll be fine." The Doctor assured him. "Nothing can get into this box."

"Well, you got in there." Rory pointed out.

"Well, there's only one of me. I counted." The Doctor replied.

"This box needs a guard." Rory said in determination. "I killed the last one."

"No. Rory, no. Don't even think about it." The Doctor shook his head.

"She'll be all alone." Rory said.

"She won't feel it." The Doctor tried.

"You bet she won't." Rory said, his voice leaving no room for argument.

"Two thousand years, Rory." The Doctor said. "You won't even sleep. You'd be conscious every second. It would drive you mad."

"Will she be safer if I stay?" Rory asked. "Look me in the eye and tell me she wouldn't be safer."

"Rory, you…" The Doctor tried to argue.

"Answer me!" Rory cut him off.

"Yes. Obviously." The Doctor relented in frustration.

"Then how could I leave her?" Rory asked.

"Why do you have to be so human?" The Doctor shook his head with a small smile.

"Because right now, I'm not." Rory answered simply.

"Listen to me. This is the last bit of advice you're going to get in a very long time." The Doctor gave him a serious look before going into his orders for Rory. "You're living plastic, but you're not immortal. I have no idea how long you'll last. And you're not indestructible. Stay away from heat and radio signals when they come along. You can't heal, or repair yourself. Any damage is permanent. So, for God's sake, however bored you get, stay out of…"

The Doctor vanished before he could finish his sentence leaving Rory on his own. He put on his helmet, drew his sword and settled down next to the Pandorica, his sword laying across his legs, ready to begin the longest stint of guard duty in history.

'According to legend, wherever the Pandorica and Statue of the Lady Pandorica was taken, throughout its long history, the Centurion would be there, guarding them.'

-0-

'He appears as an iconic image in the artwork of many cultures, and there are several documented accounts of his appearances, and his warnings to the many who attempted to open the box before its time. His last recorded appearance was during the London blitz in 1941. The warehouse where the Pandorica and the Lady Pandorica were stored was destroyed by incendiary bombs, but the box and Statue itself were found the next morning, a safe distance from the blaze. There are eyewitness accounts from the night of the fire of a figure in Roman dress, carrying the box from the flames then returning and carrying out the statue. Since then, there have been no sightings of the Lone Centurion, and many have speculated that if he ever existed, he perished in the fires of that night, performing one last act of devotion to the box and statue he had pledged to protect for nearly two thousand years.'

"Rory. Oh, Rory." Amy said softly as the audio visual presentation ended then her eyes were drawn to the statue of the Lady Pandorica, her hand going to her mouth to stifle the small sob.

"Do you know her?" Amelia asked Amy.

"Yes…" Amy took a deep breath, knowing what had happened to Stella thanks to the message he'd left in her head. "She was my best friend."

"Exterminate!"

"What's that?" Amelia asked Amy fearfully.

"Exterminate!" The stone Dalek called out again just as the Doctor appeared before Amy and Amelia.

"…trouble." The Doctor looked to the Dalek then to Amy and Amelia. "Oh. Ah, two of you. Complicated."

"Doctor! What about Stella? Can you fix her?" Amy glanced over to the Lady Pandorica. The Doctor's face fell as he too looked to Stella, but there was no time to answer.

"Exterminate! Weapons systems restoring." The Dalek said, cutting off whatever answer the Doctor might have struggled to give.

"Come along, Ponds." The Doctor urged them on, grabbing onto their hand and pulling them around the other side of the Pandorica.

"Exterminate!" The Dalek said as they ran to a Middle Eastern montage where the Doctor took the fez from one of the dummies he knocked over.

"What are we doing?" Amy asked.

"Well, we are running into a dead end, where I'll have a brilliant plan that basically involves not being in one." The Doctor replied placing the fez on his head.

"What's going on?" A man at the end of the hall with a flashlight asked.

"Get out of here. Go! Just run!" The Doctor ordered.

"Drop the device!" The Dalek ordered.

"It's not a weapon. Scan it. It's not a weapon, and you don't have the power to waste." The Doctor said quickly.

"Scans indicate intruder unarmed." The Dalek stated. The man dropped the flashlight revealing Rory in a museum guard uniform.

"Do you think?" Rory asked as his fingers drop away revealing his Auton weapon shooting the Dalek in the eye stalk.

"Vision impaired! Vision…" The Dalek cried out as it was forced to power down.

"Amy!" Rory called out.

"Rory." Amy rushed over to him and brought him into a tight hug.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I couldn't help it. It just happened." Rory said when they separated, but kept their arms around each other.

"Oh, Shut up." Amy kissed him deeply.

"Yeah, shut up, because we've got to go. Come on." The Doctor said coming up to them, almost coming between them.

"I waited. Two thousand years I waited for you." Rory said when they came up for more air.

"No, still shut up." Amy ordered as they lip locked again.

"And break. And breathe." The Doctor moved around them. "Well, somebody didn't get out much for two thousand years."

"I'm thirsty. Can I get a drink?" Amelia asked the Doctor, tugging on his sleeve.

"Oh, it's all mouths today, isn't it?" The Doctor said with a sigh, his mind wondering to Stella causing his hearts to give a painful tug. He placed the fez on Amelia's head, the hat slipping down over her eyes. Amelia took off the offensive hat shoving it back into his hands.

"The light." The Doctor said in realization as he gazed past the Dalek. "The light from the Pandorica, it must have hit the Dalek." The Dalek's weapon started to move. "Out!" The Doctor shouted finally causing the couple to break apart. The Doctor ran out with the others following, the Doctor pulling Amelia along with him. "Out! Out!"

-0-

They ducked through some double doors, Rory and the Doctor closing them allowing the timelord to lock them with his sonic. Amy and Amelia stood back watching them, Amy concerned for her dear friend seeing the strain that was bearing down on him, the loss of Stella was torture for him.

"So, two thousand years. How did you do?" The Doctor questioned, trying to keep his mind going so he didn't have to focus on the pain in his hearts.

"Kept out of trouble. Rory shrugged.

"Oh. How?" The Doctor asked in interest, gazing in confusion at the fez in his hand before he placed it on his head.

"Unsuccessfully." Rory replied.

"Sounds familiar." The Doctor muttered to himself. "I wanted to thank you Rory." The Doctor said as he moved over to the other side of the hall. "For taking care of Stella…all those years…."

"It was nothing." Rory said with a concerned look to the Doctor then his eyes lit up in realization as the Doctor took up a mop about to use it to brace the doors they had come through. "The mop! That's how you looked all those years ago when you gave me the sonic."

"Ah. Well, no time to lose, then." The Doctor disappeared thanks to Rivers manipulator then returned putting the mop through the door handles to the Anomaly exhibition. "Oops, sorry."

"How can he do that? Is he magic?" Amelia asked when he disappeared and reappeared again.

"Right, let's go then. Wait! Now I don't have the sonic. I just gave it Rory two thousand years ago." The Doctor disappeared again then he was back again. "Right then." The Doctor retrieved his screwdriver from Amy. "Off we go!" The Doctor started up the stairs only to turn back down them. "No, hang on." He looked to Amelia. "How did you know to come here?" Amelia showed him the leaflet and the post-it note. "Ah, my handwriting. Okay." He grabbed a new leaflet and post-it note from the information desk and vanished. He returned soon after with the drink he took from Amelia earlier. "There you go. Drink up."

"What is that? How are you doing that?" Amy asked.

"Vortex manipulator. Cheap and nasty time travel. Very bad for you. I'm trying to give it up." The Doctor replied.

"Where are we going?" Amy asked as they followed him toward the stairs.

"The roof. The Doctor told her. Suddenly a second Doctor appeared further up the stairs, sans fez, and his clothes are smoking. He fell forward down the stairs, the others rushing to him.

"Doctor, it's you. How can it be you?" Rory asked.

"Doctor, is that you?" Amy asked.

"Yeah, it's me. From the future." The Doctor breathed out. Future Doctor suddenly woke up and whispered in the Doctor's ear, then fell back again.

"Are you? I mean, is he…is he dead?" Amy struggled.

"What? Dead? Yes, yes. Of course he's dead." The Doctor said as he stood back up. "Right, I've got twelve minutes. That's good."

"Twelve minutes to live? How is that good?" Amy asked as the Doctor stopped at the top of the stairs.

"Oh, you can do loads in twelve minutes." The Doctor ranted. "Suck a mint, buy a sledge, have a fast bath. Come on, the roof."

"We can't leave you here dead." Rory said.

"Oh, good. Are you in charge now? So tell me, what are we going to do about Amelia?" The Doctor demanded starting to get frustrated. Now that he knew what was going to happen he wanted to get it over with, he didn't want to be here anymore without Stella and now he knew he wasn't going to be.

"Where did she go?" Amy asked looking down at the soda cup on the ground, but no little girl.

"Amelia?" Amy Rory called out.

"There is no Amelia. From now on, there never was. History is still collapsing." The Doctor said.

"But how can I still be here if she's not?" Amy asked.

"You're an anomaly. We all are. We're all just hanging on at the eye of the storm." The Doctor explained to them. "But the eye is closing, and if we don't do something fast, reality will never have happened. Today, just dying is a result. Now, come on!

The Doctor went ahead leaving them behind.

"He won't die. Time can be rewritten. They'll find a way. I know they will." Amy said as Rory covered the dead Doctor with his jacket.

"Move it! Come on!" The Doctor called out for them.

"Restore. Restore!"

-0-

They came out on the roof through a trap door, the surrounding area illuminated by the light of a rising sun.

"What, it's morning already? How did that happen?" Amy noticed the light.

"History is shrinking. Does anybody listening to me other than Stella?" The Doctor questioned, pausing for a moment, his face drawn up in pain at the thought of his Starlight. Rory and Amy watched him in concern as he squared his shoulder moving on, sonicing a satellite dish receiver from off of its pole. "The universe is collapsing. We don't have much time left."

"What are you doing?" Rory asked.

"Looking for the Tardis." The Doctor replied waving the dish around as he stepped out onto the edge of the roof.

"But the Tardis exploded." Rory pointed out.

"Okay then, I'm looking for an exploding Tardis." The Doctor amended.

"I don't understand. So, the Tardis blew up and took the universe with it." Amy said. "But why would it do that? How?"

"Good question for another day. The question for now is, total event collapse means that every star in the universe never happened. Not one single one of them ever shone. So, if all the stars that ever were are gone, then what is that?" The Doctor looked to a large burning ball in the sky along with his companions. "Like I said, I'm looking for an exploding Tardis."

"But that's the sun." Rory said in confusion.

"Is it? Well, here's the noise that sun is making right now." The Doctor pointed the dish at the 'sun' which was making the Tardis noise. "That's my Tardis burning up. That's what's been keeping the Earth warm."

"Doctor, there's something else." Rory listened closely.

'I'm sorry sweeties.'

"There's a voice." Rory said.

"I can't hear anything." Amy argued.

"Trust the plastic." Rory pointed to his ear.

'I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.'

"Doctor, that's River. How can she be up there?" Amy questioned upon hearing the voice of the Professor.

"It must be like a recording or something." Rory thought.

"No, it's not. The emergency protocols. Of course, the emergency protocols." The Doctor realized. "The Tardis has sealed off the control room and put her into a time loop to save her. She is right at the heart of the explosion."

'I'm sorry sweeties. I'm sorry sweeties. I'm sorry sweeties.'

-0-

River was forever running to the doors, opening them and seeing the rock wall. She then looked over her shoulder as the console exploded with greater force. She knew the Doctor and Stella were coming for her, they had to, they….

"I'm sorry Sweeties." She repeated the scene once again, but this time the Doctor was standing there leaning against the door.

"Hi, honey. I'm home." The Doctor smiled slightly.

"And what sort of time do you call this?" River asked with her hands on her hips, her eyes taking in the tired countenance of the Doctor. She knew right away that something was wrong as the Doctor wordlessly took hold of her hand placing it on the manipulator and transporting them back to the roof. "Amy!" River smiled then saw Rory. "And the plastic Centurion?"

"It's okay, he's on our side." The Doctor assured her.

"Really?" River eyed Rory.

"Yeah." The Doctor nodded.

"I dated a Nestene duplicate once. Swappable head. It did keep things fresh." River grinned making Rory uncomfortable as he glanced over to a smirking Amy. "Right then, I have questions, but number one is this." River turned to the Doctor. "What in the name of sanity have you got on your head?"

"It's a fez. I wear a fez now. Fezes are cool." The Doctor replied, his smile still not reaching his eyes. River and Amy exchanged a look, the redhead snatching the fez and throwing it into the air, where River shot it into pieces making the Doctor pout. "Oh!"

"Oh don't worry, I'm sure Stella will get you another, she always loves to spoil you." River rolled her eyes, then noticed for the first time the lack of the cyborg. "Doctor, where is Stella?" The Doctor's face fell as did the faces of his companions causing River's blood to go cold. "Doctor…where is Stella?"

"She's gone." The Doctor said in a strained voice.

"What do you mean gone?!" River demanded grabbing his shoulders when he wouldn't look at her, her voice urgent.

"Exterminate!" The Dalek called out as it flew up.

"Run, run! Move, move. Go!" The Doctor ordered as the Dalek opened fire.

"Come on!" Rory pulled Amy along with River leading the way. The Doctor used the satellite dish as a shield allowing them cover to get back into the museum.

"Doctor, come on." River said as they paused in the stair well, her gun still pointed up at the trapdoor.

"Shush. It's moving away, finding another way in. It needs to restore its power before it can attack again." The Doctor told them climbing down the ladder. "Now, that means we've got exactly four and a half minutes before it's at lethal capacity."

"How do you know?" Rory asked.

"Because that's when it's due to kill me." The Doctor replied as they went on their way.

"Kill you? What do you mean, kill you?" River echoed in a sharp tone.

"Oh, shut up. Never mind." The Doctor ordered as they made their way through the museum. "How can that Dalek even exist? It was erased from time and then it came back. How?"

"You said the light from the Pandorica…" Rory tried.

"It's not a light, it's a restoration field. But never mind, call it a light." The Doctor said as he paused in his stride. "That light brought Amy back, restored her, but how could it bring back a Dalek when the Daleks have never existed?"

"Okay, tell us." Amy said.

"When the Tardis blew up, it caused a total event collapse. A time explosion. And that explosion blasted every atom in every moment of the universe. Except…" The Doctor trailed off.

"Except inside the Pandorica." Amy realized.

"The perfect prison. And inside it, perfectly preserved, a few billion atoms of the universe as it was. In theory, you could extrapolate the whole universe from a single one of them, like, like cloning a body from a single cell. And we've got the bumper family pack." The Doctor grinned, getting truly excited.

"No, no. Too fast. I'm not getting it." Rory shook his head.

"The box contains a memory of the universe, and the light transmits the memory, and that's how we're going to do it." The Doctor smiled.

"Do what?" Amy asked.

"Relight the fire. Reboot the universe." The Doctor smiled.

"Doctor, would it…would it work for Stella as well?" Amy asked hesitantly, but the Doctor moved on down the hall not answering her except for the large smile that now entered his eyes, a smile filled with hope.

"Come on!" The Doctor called out.

"Doctor, you're being completely ridiculous." River told him as they went down another hall, stopping in a doorway. "The Pandorica partially restored one Dalek. If it can't even reboot a single life form properly, how's it reboot the whole of reality?"

"What if we give it a moment of infinite power? What if we can transmit the light from the Pandorica to every particle of space and time simultaneously?" The Doctor questioned as he turned walking back up to River.

"Well, that would be lovely, dear, but we can't, because it's completely impossible." River shook her head.

"Ah no, you see, it's not. It's almost completely impossible. One spark is all we need." The Doctor told her.

"For what?" River asked.

"Big Bang Two! Now listen…" The Doctor never got to finish his sentence, the Dalek shooting him down causing the skeleton of the Doctor to flash before he fell to the ground.

"Exterminate! Exterminate!" The Dalek cried out.

"Get back. River, get back now!" Rory ordered.

"Exterminate!" The Dalek yelled before Rory shot it forcing it to power down again.

"Doctor? Can you hear me? What is it? What do you need?" River crouched down next to the Doctor with Amy and Rory, but the Doctor activated the vortex manipulator and vanished.

"Where did he go? Damn it, he could be anywhere." River snapped.

"He went downstairs, twelve minutes ago." Amy said in a strained voice.

"Show me!" River ordered.

"River, he died." Amy said gently.

"Systems restoring. You will be exterminated." The Dalek announced.

"We've got to move. That thing's coming back to life." Rory told them, keeping his hand trained on the monster.

"You go to the Doctor. I'll be right with you." River told them as she calmly stood up, Amy and Rory leaving the Dalek to her.

"You will be exterminated!" The Dalek said.

"Not yet. Your systems are still restoring, which means your shield density is compromised." River said as she drew her gun checking over the setting in a casual manner. "One Alpha Mezon burst through your eyestalk would kill you stone dead."

"Records indicate you will show mercy. You are an associate of the Doctor's." The Dalek stated.

"I'm River Song. Check your records again." River said with a dark look coupled with a dangerous smirk.

"Mercy." The Dalek said.

"Say it again." River aimed.

"Mercy!" The Dalek repeated.

"One more time." River smiled.

"Mercy!" The Dalek screamed.

River fired.

-0-

Amy and Rory raced through the halls arriving back at the stairs where they found that the Doctor's body had disappeared without a trace leaving behind Rory's jacket was.

"How could he have moved? He was dead." Rory said glancing around. "Doctor? Doctor!"

"But he was dead." Amy said.

"Who told you that?" River asked as she came down the stairs, her face like stone.

"He did." Amy replied.

"Rule one. The Doctor lies." River said looking around.

"Where's the Dalek?" Amy asked.

"It died." River said darkly before leading them off back toward the Pandorica.

-0-

Twenty Minutes earlier…

Stella slowly came to, her eyes blinking rapidly as her systems came back on. She winced slightly as her vision was filled with a bright shining light and the stiffness in her muscles was not helping. She took in her surroundings as she stepped down from the display she found herself in while stretching out her arms. Across from her was the Pandorica standing wide open and empty making her hearts jolt with hope, but then fall when she saw no sign of the Doctor.

She stepped off of the stand she found herself on eyeing the Lady Pandorica plaque then the timeline that lined the wall. Taking in all that had happened to the Pandorica and herself through the ages, listening for a time to the audio visual.

"Rory." Stella smiled slightly placing her hand against one of the depictions of Rory saving the Pandorica and herself from a burning fire. She frowned at the assumption that he had died in the blitz, but she somehow doubted that he had. If the Pandorica and herself had survived she doubted he had just left them alone in the street, she was certain that he was alive.

It was when she returned to where she had stood that she noticed notice the cluster of flowers. It was one of her clips, of that she was sure, one of her favorites in fact. She loved the swirl of the purple and white that colored the small roses. She cautiously picked it up running her fingers along the silken flowers before placing it in her hair behind her right ear. Looking around once more she made her way out of the room and into the hall, picking up her pace when she saw someone struggling down the hall using the wall for support.

"Theta!" Stella called out upon recognizing him, sprinting toward him as fast as she could.

"Starlight!?" The Doctor rasped, falling into her arms, both of them holding each other as close as possible. "You're here! It worked!" The Doctor said in relief as he kissed her. "I thought I'd lost you…"

"Never." Stella replied right away smiling lovingly as brought her into a tender kiss, this one much slower and more lingering. "What happened to you?"

"Dalek." The Doctor said giving her a brief summary of what had happened as he rested his forehead against hers.

"Big Bang two huh? Then we need to get to work." Stella said wrapping the Doctor's arm around her neck and helping him down the hall toward the Pandorica.

-0-

The Doctor was in the Pandorica surrounded by wires, most of them connected to the manipulator. He was slumped to the side breathing softly, a rolled up cloth from the Middle East exhibit under his head.

"Doctor!" Amy rushed in.

"Why did he tell us he was dead?" Rory questioned.

"You were a diversion. As long as the Dalek was chasing you, he could work down here." Stella said as she came around the corner pulling some more wires she had acquired. "Would you mind keeping it down a bit, I'm letting him take a bit of a power nap."

"Stella!" Amy said in shock looking from where the statue had been and back to her then grabbed the cyborg in a tight hug followed by Roy, both relieved to see her. "What…?"

"The light restored me as well, just took a little more time." Stella said as they stepped back looking to River. "What? No hug Professor, or has that not happened yet?"

"Just recently in fact." River smiled as they hugged.

"Well congratulations." Stella smiled before she got back to work, moving over to kneel next to the Doctor.

"What were you doing?" River asked as the light from the Tardis was getting brighter coming in through the windows at an alarming rate.

"What's happening?" Rory asked as they all looked up.

"Reality's collapsing. It's speeding up. Look at this room." River said, the exhibits in the room and down the hall had all disappeared.

"Where'd everything go?" Amy asked.

"History's being erased. Time's running out." River replied looking to where Stella was working as fast as she could, the Doctor moving as much as he could. "Stella, what are you and the Doctor doing?"

"Big…Bang…Two." The Doctor breathed out.

"The Big Bang. That's the beginning of the universe, right?" Rory asked uncertainly.

"What, and Big Bang Two is the bang that brings us back? Is that what you mean?" Amy asked them.

"Oh." River said in realization.

"What?" Amy asked.

"The Tardis is still burning. It's exploding at every point in history. If you threw the Pandorica into the explosion, right into the heart of the fire." River said as she started to help Stella and the Doctor.

"Right you are professor." Stella nodded, holding some of the wires in her mouth as she bound others together with her sonic fingers

"Then what?" Amy asked.

"Then let there be light. The light from the Pandorica would explode everywhere at once, just like we said." Stella replied, causing some sparks to fly and tiny fire to start that she quickly put out. "That was supposed to happen, that's fine."

"That would work? That would bring everything back?" Amy asked eyed the hodgepodge work.

"A restoration field powered by an exploding Tardis, happening at every moment in history." Stella answered without really answering.

"Oh, that's brilliant. It might even work." River said in realization as she used the Doctor's sonic to scan their work. River's face fell as she looked up from their work to Stella who was resolutely keeping from making eye contact with the Professor. "They wired the vortex manipulator to the rest of the box."

"Why?" Amy asked.

"So we can take it with us." Stella replied with a grim, but determined look as she sat on the arm rest of the Pandorica prison chair. She place her hand gently on the Doctor's face, her thumb stroking his cheek as he leaned into her touch with a sad smile. "We're going to fly the Pandorica into the heart of the explosion."

-0-

Amy and Rory stood starring up at the windows as River worked with Stella and the Doctor to get the Pandorica ready. Amy's face was a mask of bitterly saddened anger while Rory looked on in worry. They knew what was coming, what would happen, the Doctor and Stella were sacrificing themselves not for the Universe, but for them, for Rory and Amy.

"Are you okay?" Rory looked to Amy.

"Are you?" Amy asked back, her voice harsh.

"No." Rory replied weakly.

"Well, shut up then!" Amy bit out. Rory brought her into a hug, Amy burying herself into his embrace.

"Amy, they want to talk to you." River came over to them.

"So, what happens here? Big Bang Two? What happens to us?" Amy demanded.

"We all wake up where we ought to be. None of this ever happens and we don't remember it." River said softly, her voice thick with emotion.

"River, tell me they come back, too." Amy begged, tears in her eyes.

"The Doctor and Stella will be the heart of the explosion." River shook her head.

"So?" Amy pressed.

"So all the cracks in time will close, but they'll be on the wrong side, trapped in the never-space, the void between the worlds. All memory of them will be purged from the universe. They will never have been born." River said as if it painfully hurt her. "Now, please. They want to talk to you before they go."

"Not to you?" Amy asked, her brow furrowed.

"They don't really know me yet. Now they never will." River said softly, her voice cracking, before Amy went back to the Pandorica. The Doctor was very weak, Stella was sitting next to him with his head resting on her shoulder while she ran her fingers soothingly through his hair.

"Hi." Amy said as she took a deep shuddering breath

"Amy Pond. The girl who waited all night in your garden." The Doctor smile weakly. "Was it worth it?"

"Shut up. Of course it was." Amy said tearfully.

"You asked me why we were taking you with us and I said, no reason." The Doctor breathed out. "I was lying."

"It's not important." Amy shook her head.

"Yeah, it's one of the most important thing left in the universe. It's why we're doing this." The Doctor told her. "Amy, your house was too big. That big, empty house, and just you."

"And Aunt Sharon." Amy said shifting her weight from foot to foot.

"Where were your mum and dad? Where was everybody who lived in that big house?" The Doctor asked as he eyed her.

"I lost my Mum and Dad." Amy said hesitantly.

"How? What happened to them? Where did they go?" The Doctor pressed.

"I, I don't…" Amy struggled, looking scared.

"It's okay, it's okay. Don't panic, it's not your fault." Stella assured her reaching out with free hand taking her hand, holding it comfortingly.

"I don't even remember." Amy looked at them wide eyed, her brows furrowing as she tried to recall them.

"There was a crack in time in the wall of your bedroom, and it's been eating away at your life for a long time now." Stella explained to her as gently as she could giving Amy's hand a reassuring squeeze.

"Amy Pond, all alone." The Doctor said softly. "The girl who didn't make sense. How could we resist?"

"How could I just forget?" Amy questioned, not understanding how she could lose such a huge part of her life.

"Nothing is ever forgotten." The Doctor told her reassuringly. "Not really."

"But you have to try." Stella urged her standing up, gently detangling herself from the Doctor, brining the red head into a tight hug before the light grew and the ground started to shake violently. "It's going to be ok Amelia, I promise, we both promise."

"Doctor! Stella! It's speeding up!" River said as the girls released each other, Amy pressing the Doctor's sonic into Stella's hands. Stella smiled sadly sitting back down next to the Doctor placing his sonic into his jacket pocket, smoothing down his singed lapels as he wrapped his arm back around her holding her close.

"There's going to be a very big bang. Big Bang Two. Try and remember your family and they'll be there." The Doctor told Amy as he rested against Stella who laid her cheek on his shoulder wrapping her arms around him.

"How can I remember them if they never existed?" Amy questioned.

"Because you're special. That crack in your wall, all that time, the universe pouring into your head." Stella told her, smiling brightly, to brightly as tears streamed down from her eyes. "You brought Rory back. You can bring them back, too. You just remember and they'll be there."

"You won't." Amy sobbed.

"You'll have your family back. You won't need your imaginary friends anymore." Stella said, her voice cracking at the end.

"Ha! Amy Pond crying over us, eh? Guess what?" The Doctor smiled.

"What?" Amy asked.

"Gotcha." The Doctor and Stella said together before the Pandorica closed.

"Back! Get back!" River pulled Amy back with Rory, all of them watching as the Pandorica took off. They took cover against the far wall, River's comm going off.

"It's from the Doctor and Stella." River looked down at her communicator.

"What does it say?" Amy asked.

"Geronimo." River said with a said sad laugh as the Pandorica reached the Tardis. There was another explosion that swept across the universe that never way recreating it in its wake.

-0-

The Doctor sat up on the floor of the Tardis glancing around quickly and only letting out a breath of relief when he saw Stella setting up next to him a hand to her head.

"You ok?" He asked in concern, holding out his hand to her.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Stella nodded scooting over to the Doctor who wrapped his arm around her. "What happened?"

"Oh! Okay, let me see." The Doctor glanced around. "We escaped, then. Brilliant. I love it when we do that." The Doctor grinned over at Stella pecking her on her cheek. "Let me see, Stella, check." Giving her another peck on the cheek. "Legs, yes. Bow tie, cool…."

"What happened?" Stella asked when the Doctor pat the top of his head with a sad look.

"River blew up my Fez." The Doctor pouted. "I really liked it."

"I'll buy you a fez." Stella assured him making him smile.

"Lyle beach." The Doctor's voice called out, but from above them. "The beach is the best. Automatic sand." The Doctor stood up with Stella moving around the railing to get a better look at the console, both of them frowning in confusion.

"Automatic sand? What does that mean?" Another Amy asked from where she, the Doctor, and Stella stood next to the console.

"It's automated. Totally." The past Doctor said without really explaining anything.

"Oh." The Doctor frowned in realization.

"Cleans up the lolly sticks all by itself." Stella explained to Amy as she rolled one of her own pops in her mouth.

"Very handy with Stella or you're tripping over lolli-sticks all day." The Doctor pointed out.

"I am not that..." Stella started, stopping when the Doctor held up some lollisticks she had in the cup holder of the Tardis console. "I was going to get those later…sorry."

"No, hang on. That's last week when we went to Space Florida and you were wearing…" The Doctor trailed off starring at past Stella leaning against the railing next to Amy in front of them.

She was wearing white shorts with layered fringe, a knit light pink backless string halter top that tied behind her neck and back, and a pair of white ankle length gladiator sandals. Her hair was up in a braided bun decorated with a cluster of pink flowers and her rose colored circle glasses perched on the edge of her nose.

"Are you leering at me?" Stella asked, seeing the Doctor staring intently at her legs.

"Yes…no…yes…sorry." The Doctor stuttered out.

"Didn't say I didn't like it." Stella grinned at the Doctor's reddening face, the sighed sadly. "We're rewinding aren't we?"

"Our time stream is unravelling and erasing." The Doctor nodded. "Closing." The crack in the scanner slowly closed and disappeared. "Hello, universe. Goodbye, Doctor and Stella." Amy turned around with a confused look on her face much to their surprise. "Amy." The Doctor called out. "Amy."

They disappeared and then reappeared again in front of a store front spotting Amy placing something above a stack of papers.

"Ah, three weeks ago, when she put the card in the window." Stella realized.

"Amy! I need to tell you something. She can hear me." The Doctor said as Amy looked around, once again hearing, but not seeing them. "But if she can hear me…"

Once again they disappeared and this time reappeared in the middle of the Forest in the Byzantium.

"Good luck, everyone. Behave. Do not let that girl open her eyes." The past Doctor called out, past Stella going with him. "Amy, later."

"River, going to need your computer." Stella informed River as they went.

"Wait here." The Doctor took his chance and went over to Amy.

"Amy, you need to start trusting me. It's never been more important.

"But you don't always tell me the truth." Amy replied as the Doctor took hold of her hands.

"If I always told you the truth, I wouldn't need you to trust me." The Doctor shot back.

"Doctor, the crack in my wall. How can it be here?" Amy asked.

"I don't know yet but I'm working it out. Now, listen. Remember what I told you when you were seven?" The Doctor asked.

"What did you tell me?" Amy asked.

"No. No, that's not the point. You have to remember." The Doctor told her before letting got and running back to Stella, not wanting to be spotted.

"Remember what? Doctor? Doctor?" Amy called out, but they had already disappeared and reappeared back at Amy's house. There in the garden of the small home was little Amelia asleep on her small suitcase.

"Amelia's house." The Doctor said.

"When she was seven." Stella nodded as the Doctor took hold of her hand.

"The night she waited." The Doctor kneeled down. "The girl who waited." He scooped up the little red head as Stella took up the small suitcase before heading inside. "Come here, you." They trekked up the stairs to Amelia's room, the Doctor gently placing her in bed and Stella tucking her in placing a small kiss on her forehead. "It's funny. I thought if you could hear me, we could hang on somehow. Silly me. Silly old Doctor."

"I like it when you're silly." Stella said sitting on the edge of the bed as the Doctor kneeled down beside the bed taking Stella's hand in his. "Oh Amelia, when you wake up, you'll have a mum and dad, and you won't even remember us." Stella said with a sad smile. "Well, you'll remember us a little."

"We'll be a story in your head. But that's okay. We're all stories in the end. Just make it a good one, eh? Because it was, you know. It was the best." The Doctor grinned looking up at Stella who was smiling down at him.

"The daft old man who stole a magic box and ran away." Stella sighed lovingly.

"And the beautiful star who ran away with him in his box." The Doctor held her hands to his lips kissing them.

"Did he ever tell you that he stole it?" Stella giggled.

"Well, I borrowed it." The Doctor corrected. "I was always going to take it back. Oh, that box. Amy, you'll dream about that box. It'll never leave you. Big and little at the same time. Brand new and ancient, and the bluest blue ever."

"And the times we had? Would have had. Never had." Stella reached out with one of her hands, keeping the other entwined with the Doctor's, and smoothed back the hair from Amelia's face. "In your dreams, they'll still be there. The Doctor, Stella, and Amy Pond, and the days that never came."

"The cracks are closing. But they can't close properly until we're on the other side." The Doctor said gently standing to his feet and tugging Stella up with him. "We don't belong here anymore."

"I think I'd like to skip the rest of the rewind." Stella said with a frown.

"I hate repeats." The Doctor agreed. "Live well."

"Love Rory." Stella added taking the cluster of purple and white flowers from her head and placing them in Amelia's hand.

"Bye bye, Pond." The Doctor smiled.

"Sweet dreams." Stella said as the Doctor took Stella's hand in his.

"I'm sorry Stella." The Doctor looked down at her, her hands coming up to rest on his chest as his wound around her lovingly.

"I'm not, I have had the happiest life I have ever had and it all started the moment I met you. I would not give that up for anything in the whole universe." Stella smiled up at him. "I love you."

"You made my life very happy as well." The Doctor pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I love you to."

The Doctor pulled her up into a lingering kiss, pouring in everything that he had as Stella in turn expressed her love for him. Slowly, reluctantly, they pulled apart after a time, then hand in hand walked through the crack in the wall closing it. Little Amelia wakes up, looks around pausing in slight confusion as she held up the cluster of flowers, but then shrugged placing it on her nightstand before going back to sleep while the stars twinkle in the sky.

-0-

Amy was woken by the bright sunlight streaming in through the window of her room. She still had her Doctor and Stella dolls on the chest of drawers and her wedding dress was hanging on the open wardrobe door.

"Morning!" A woman entered the room with a trey setting it down next to Amy.

"You're my mum." Amy said in shock. "Oh, my God. You're my mum."

"Well, of course I'm your mum. What's the matter with you? And this is your breakfast, which your father made, so feel free to tip it out of the window if it's an atrocity." Amy's mom rambled on making her way out of the room. "Downstairs, ten minutes? Big day!"

"Of course she's my mum. Why is that surprising?" Amy questioned herself before throwing off her covers and heading downstairs. There in the living room was a man going over a speech as he paced about, glancing at a joke book, only stopping when he spotted Amy.

"Ah, Amelia. I fear I may have been using the same joke book as the best man." He commented.

"You're my tiny little dad!" Amy exclaimed as she rushed forward hugging her father tightly

"Amelia, why are you behaving as if you've never seen us before?" Her mother eyed her.

"I don't know. It's just..." Amy gathered herself, watching with a smile as her mother tied her father tie for him before stepping away to make a call.

"Hello!" Rory answered the phone, the sound of him brushing his teeth coming over the phone as well.

"Do you feel like you've forgotten something really important? Do you feel like there's a great big thing in your head, and you feel like you should remember it, but you can't?" Amy asked.

"Yep." Rory replied.

"Are you just saying yes because you're scared of me?" Amy's eyes narrowed.

"Yep." Rory replied.

"I love you." Amy said.

"Yep." Rory repeated before catching himself. "Er, I mean, I love you too!"

-0-

The wedding reception was filled with all of the guests, still talking about the lovely ceremony, what relative still wasn't married, who was pregnant, and other such monumentally important things to families of any size. Red and gold balloons matched the colors of the flowers and table accents decorating the room wonderfully.

Amy sat with Rory at the bride and groom table flanked by their parents. Amy was a beautiful dressed in a stunning white wedding gown, her hair hanging loose save for the veil and a cluster of flowers at the top of her head that she had had since childhood although she couldn't remember from where or why they were so important to her.

"Ladies and gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen, the father of the bride, Augustus Pond!" The master of ceremonies announced.

"Sorry, everyone. I'll be another two minutes." Augustus shuffled through his notes. "I'm just reviewing certain aspects."

"Your father, Amelia, will be the absolute death of me." Tabitha commented to Amy in a theatrically tired voice. "Unless, of course, I strike pre-emptively."

Amy wasn't listening though, instead her eyes were drawn to a far window where she saw River walking past. River looked inside, catching Amy's eye with a knowing look and a challenging smirk. Amy stood to her feet gazing out the window intently as River disappeared from view.

"Amy? You okay?" Rory asked in concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Amy slowly sat back down looking to be in a state of shock.

"Right. Er, you're crying." Rory pointed out.

"So I am." Amy reached up touching her wet cheek. "Why am I doing that?"

"Because you're happy, probably." Rory tried. "Happy Mrs Rory. Happy, happy, happy."

"No, I'm sad. I'm really, really sad." Amy said in a strained voice.

"Great." Rory grumbled as he deflated.

"Why am I sad? What's that?" Amy asked looking to the blue book on the table.

"Oh, er, someone left it for you. A woman." Rory replied.

"But what is it?" Amy pressed picking up a blue journal in one hand, the other straying to the flowers in her hair.

"It's a book." Rory said as if it were obvious.

"It's blank." Amy said flipping through it.

"It's a present." Rory said.

"But why?" Amy asked taking the cluster of flowers from her hair, starring down at them and the journal.

"Well, you know the old saying. The old wedding thing." Rory said then noticed her stricken look. "Huh? Amy starred off forlornly into space, her face a mask of concentration, trying to remember, but not even knowing what she was trying to remember. "Amy, what? Hey."

"Ready now." Augustus said as he stood up, speech in hand. "Sorry about that. Last minute adjustments to certain aspects. Now then, it hardly seems a year since…" Amy looked to one of the guests wearing a bow tie, and another with braces. She took in the floral arrangements and the lace patterns the table cloths. Another tear escaped her eye falling down onto the book with a muffled spalsh. "At the age of six and announced that the new head teacher wasn't real because she looked like a cartoon."

"Shut up, Dad!" Amy exploded to the astonishment of the wedding party.

"Amy?" Rory questioned.

"Amelia?" Augustus gaped at his daughter.

"Sorry, but shut up, please. There's someone, two someone's missing, two important someone's, so, so important." Amy struggled as she fisted her hand in her hair.

"Amy, what's wrong?" Rory asked.

"Sorry. Sorry, everyone. But when I was a kid, I had two imaginary friends." Amy told them standing up straight.

"Oh no, not this again." Her mother moaned.

"The Raggedy Doctor and Bohemian Stella. My Raggedy Doctor and Bohemian Stella. But they were not imaginary, they were real." Amy said.

"The psychiatrists we sent her to." Her mother went on.

"I remember you. I remember! I brought the others back, I can bring you home, too. Raggedy Man, Bohemian Lady, I remember you, and you are late for my wedding!" Amy called out as the glasses started rattling, very gently. "I found you. I found you in words, like you knew I would. That's why you told me the story the brand new, ancient blue box." A strong wind kicked up blowing the balloons around. "Oh, clever. Very clever."

"Amy, what is it?" Rory asked as he stood up next to Amy.

"Something old. Something new. Something borrowed. Something blue." Amy grinned as the Tardis materialized in the middle of the room, Amy running up to it.

"It's the Doctor and Stella. How did we forget the Doctor and Stella? I was plastic. He was the stripper at my stag." Rory noticed some of the looks he got at that comment. "Long story."

"Okay, Doctor, Stella." Amy walked over the table and straight up to the Tardis knocking on the door. "Did I surprise you this time?"

The Doctor appeared in top hat, smart black suit with tails, white tie, shirt, and vest. Stella was next to him in a blush colored dress that had a floral lace off the shoulder top with quarter length fitted sleeves, the back of the dress was dipped down under the middle of her back, from the middle of her back down it was laced tied at the base of her back with a gold bow that had long tails, a full tulle tea length skirt, a pair of gold strappy heels with flowers going up the sides, a pearl necklace, pearl stud earrings, and her hair was in a loose low bun made up at of smooth waves with a cluster of pink and white roses clipped to the side of her bun.

"Er, yeah. Completely astonished." The Doctor answered.

"Never expected that." Stella agreed.

"How lucky I happened to be wearing this old thing and Stella was all dressed up with nowhere to go." The Doctor said twirling Stella as they stepped out of the Tarids. "Hello, everyone. We're Amy's imaginary friends."

"But we came anyway." Stella said shaking hands with Amy's astonished father.

"You absolutely, definitely may kiss the bride." Amy charged up to them, the Doctor stopping her with a finger to her lips.

"Amelia, from now on I shall be leaving the kissing duties to the brand new Mister Pond." The Doctor said as Rory walked up, the Doctor wiping his finger on Rory's suit before shaking the groom's hand.

"Not like that, I learned my lesson." Amy rolled her eyes pulling the time travelers into a tight hug kissing them both on their cheeks.

"And I'm not Mister Pond. That's not how it works." Rory argued.

"Yeah, it is." The Doctor and Stella nodded.

"Yeah, it is." Rory relented.

"Right then, everyone. We'll move our box." Stella said taking the cluster of purple and white roses placing them back and Amy's hair before moving back over with the Doctor.

"You're going to need the space. We only came for the dancing." The Doctor said dancing Stella back into the Tardis and parking it outside.

-0-

Later, in the disco phase of the party, the Doctor was moving to the rhythm of Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Queen with Amy while Stella and Rory dance around the floor together. Stella laughed as she watched the Doctor's exaggerated moves, knowing he was a much dancer than that. Stella looked back up to Rory who was also smiling at the Doctor and Amy.

"I never had the chance to thank you Rory." Stella said gaining his attention.

"Thank me?" Rory echoed.

"You didn't just keep Amy safe for two thousand years, you watched after me as well and for that I am very grateful." Stella gave him a friendly peck on the cheek making him smile as he ducked his head.

"I'm glad I could help." Rory nodded before their attention was taken by Amy and the Doctor again.

"You're terrible. That is embarrassing!" Amy laughed stepping back as the Doctor got worse.

"Then you won't mind if we switch partners." Stella twirled Rory over to Amy, Stella guiding the Doctor into a proper dance form. They danced perfectly around the room performing a quick step dance amazing the guests that thought he was a hopeless case. A few songs later found the Doctor once again throwing out his crazy moves, this time in front of a group of children, while Stella got something to drink watching him in fond amusement.

"That's it. That's good. Keep it loose." The Doctor coached the laughing children, all of them loving the bride's imaginary friend. When the songs started to slow down and the children returned to their parents Stella took to the stage.

"I hope none of you mind, but I have a rather special song I'd like to sing for the happy couple." Stella said as she held up her guitar and started to strum out the opening for 'A Thousand Years'.

The happy couple smiled as they listened for a time before waltzing back onto the dance floor soon being joined by more couples. Stella smiled as she sang, watching her friends dancing close together with their foreheads resting against one another. Her eyes drifted to the Doctor who was watching her with that soft gaze of his. It never failed to send a wave of warm love through her combined with a sort of melting feeling.

When the song was over Stella set the guitar aside as Amy and Rory enveloped her in a hug followed by the Doctor pulling her into a loving kiss while everyone applauded. As the party wore down the Doctor and Stella stepped back observing the couple holding each other close as they slowly moved to the music.

"Two thousand years. The boy who waited." The Doctor said softly. "Good on you, mate."

The couple smiled at the Ponds one last time before they stepped outside hand in hand moving toward the Tardis. There waiting for them was the illustrious River Song wearing a stunning dress and an even more stunning smile.

"Did you dance? Well, you always dance at weddings, don't you?" River smiled fondly at them both.

"You tell us." The Doctor replied.

"Spoilers." River smirked. The Doctor handed her the book her vortex manipulator back to her.

"The writing's all back, but we didn't peek." The Doctor told her.

"He wouldn't let me." Stella pouted.

"Thank you." River smiled taking the precious items back.

"Are you married, River?" The Doctor asked.

"Are you asking?" River asked back with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes." The Doctor replied

"No." River replied.

"No, hang on. Did you think I was asking you to marry me, or….or…or asking if you were married?" The Doctor asked taking hold of Stella's hand pulling her in front of himself. Stella had lost count of how many times he had used her as a body shield against more amorous people they had encountered.

"Yes." River smiled.

"No, but was that yes, or yes?" The Doctor floundered in confusion.

"No." River said simply.

"River, who are you?" Stella asked, getting to the point.

"You're going to find out very soon now." River said with a small frown. "And I'm sorry, but that's when everything changes."

River strapped on her manipulator and vanished leaving behind the couple before they could ask for clarification, both sporting thoughtful looks.

"Nah." They said together as Amy came out of the reception hall.

"Oi! Where are you two off to? We haven't even had a snog in the shrubbery yet." Amy said teasingly.

"Amy!" Rory came after her exasperated.

"Shut up. It's my wedding." Amy said, winking at Stella so she knew that she was just teasing Rory.

"Our wedding." Rory corrected her.

"You keep this up Pond and I'll make out with Rory." Stella told the red head playfully.

"No you won't." The Doctor pulled her against his chest wrapping his arms around her protectively.

"She started it." Stella said as she pointed to Amy with a pout.

"Well I'm ending it, we will keep our lips to our respected significant others from now on. Agreed?" The Doctor looked at them all sternly.

"Agreed." They all said together.

"Now that we have that out of the way, sorry about slipping out, shouldn't have done that." The Doctor told them. "Bit busy, you know?"

"You just saved the whole of space and time? Take the evening off. Maybe a bit of tomorrow." Rory offered.

"Space and time isn't safe yet. The Tardis exploded for a reason." The Doctor told them.

"Something drew the Tardis to this particular date, and blew it up." Stella added on. "Why?"

"And why now?" The Doctor questioned as the phone in the Tardis started to ring. "The Silence, whatever it is, is still out there, and I have to….excuse me a moment." The Doctor stepped inside answering the telephone. "Hello? Oh, hello. I'm sorry, this is a very bad line…..No, no, no, but that's not possible. She was sealed into the seventh Obelisk. Stella and I were at the prayer meeting…..Well, no, I get that it's important. An Egyptian goddess loose on the Orient Express, in space. Give us a mo." The Doctor pocked his head out to talk to Amy and Rory. "Sorry, something's come up. This will have to be goodbye."

"Yeah, I think it's goodbye. Do you think it's goodbye?" Amy looked to Rory.

"Definitely goodbye." Rory nodded as Amy went to the door and shouts to Leadworth.

"Goodbye! Goodbye." Amy called out as Stella took the phone from the Doctor.

"Don't worry about a thing, your Majesty." Stella grinned in excitement. "We're on our way."


	14. Chapter 14

_**The new story is up, I hope you like it.**_

 _ **Stella by Starlight: PT 4**_


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